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FBIS3-22521_0 | TB Declines; Cholera Prevention Campaign To Begin | Language: Spanish Article Type:CSO [Text] Tuberculosis cases declined by 2 percent in Peru from 1992 to 1993, and 54,000 people currently suffer from the disease, Health Minister Jaime Freundt-Thurne Uyanguren revealed yesterday at the ceremony during which the World Food Program (PMA) turned over 10 laboratory microscopes for diagnosing TB. The coordinator of the United Nations System and representative of the aforementioned program, Pierre Den Baas, presented the modern microscopes, which carry a price tag of $7,600. The Health Ministry's National Tuberculosis Program will use them in the departments of Cajamarca, Cuzco, Puno, and Lima. Diagnosis and Treatment Guaranteed Freundt-Thurne indicated that his ministry intends to continue reducing the number of tuberculosis patients by 2 to 3 percent a year. "The Health Ministry is in a position to guarantee both diagnosis and treatment of all patients," he noted. He underscored the major gains that have been made in the battle against this disease in light of economic conditions in the country. Cholera Prevention Campaign As for the measures that the Health Ministry will take to prevent massive numbers of cholera cases, the minister reported that a series of publicity spots would soon be broadcast to remind people about how to prevent the disease. "The mass media can do a great deal by urging people to wash their hands, boil drinking water, and cook foods thoroughly," he said. |
FBIS3-22525_1 | Update on Outbreak of Diphtheria Preventive Measures Taken | 0900 and 1200 may have been responsible for the epidemic. The rupture is believed to have allowed waste water to seep into potable water conduits. Dr. Ouahdi, head of the national program to combat waterborne diseases, says the epidemic could have been avoided if local authorities had paid attention to warnings from daira health officials. These reports noted problems in the potable water system. "Samples taken in various parts of the daira have shown the absence of chlorine. This proves that the potable water was not treated even [text missing] epidemic," our source said. Readers are reminded that the same cause was cited as responsible for a similar epidemic in Guelma (196 cases) and Saida (104 cases) in July of last year. Tiaret reported 500 cases of typhoid fever in the second half of 1993. To avert a pandemic, disease prevention officials in the Health Ministry are working in two ways to address problems in contaminated zones. The first line of action is long term and will involve renovation of pipes and improvement of chemical and bacteriological monitoring in the potable water treatment system. The second, for immediate implementation, involves warning people in areas affected by the epidemic to take special hygiene precautions and augmenting chlorine levels in the water towers. In the same context, the Health Ministry early this month created "an antidiphtheria operational group" headed by Professor Dif and consisting of the directors of various health agencies (INSP [National Public Health Institute], Pasteur Institute, ENAPHARM [National Pharmaceuticals Company], etc.). By conducting regular briefings for the medical corps and local authorities in areas affected by the epidemic, the committee will promote wide dissemination of information about this contagious airborne epidemic and means of prevention. "There were some deaths when the epidemic first broke out, because doctors did not recognize the disease," said Professor Dif, director of the Health Ministry's prevention service. The diphtheria epidemic seems to be almost completely under control now, with only two active centers of contagion presenting the risk of further infection: one at Tizi-Ouzou (87 cases and six deaths) and the other at Ghardaia (79 cases but no deaths). In that connection, Professor Dif assures us that vaccination coverage will be provided. "We do not, of course, have vaccines in the industrial quantities needed to conduct a nationwide vaccination campaign, but we are in a position to treat the epidemic now under way," he said. |
FBIS3-22526_5 | Report on AIDS Treatment, Statistics | in dealing with all patients. They must continuously sterilize all the equipment and tools they use to protect themselves and their patients from the possibility of infection." We asked Dr. Qadri 'Imarah, director of al-'Abbasiyah Hummiyat Hospital, about the procedure that would be followed with a person who is found to have the AIDS virus. Dr. 'Imarah said, "If infection with the virus is confirmed, the infected person registers his name in the Health Office of his governorate. The patient is monitored, and his condition is checked every three months. The Communicable Diseases Section of the Health Department offers health awareness and education services to the patient and his family and to those who have contact with him. The symptoms of immune deficiency disease do not usually become evident in a person who has the virus until some time after he is infected. And that period of time is determined by the ability of that person's immune system to resist infection. When that person's resistance fails, his condition deteriorates, and it becomes incumbent upon him to go to the Hummiyat Hospital for assistance. "In previous years fear of infection among workers in any hospital admitting such patients was so strong, it approached terror. Now, however, the situation is different. As more information about the virus became available through scientific advances, those working with patients whose disease is advanced have become more careful and more relaxed. This is because the Ministry of Health has sent people abroad for training on how to work with AIDS patients. The ministry also holds courses for those who work in the field of communicable diseases." Dr. 'Imarah then added, "The first case of AIDS in Egypt was discovered in November 1986, and the patient, who was a foreigner, was isolated in al-'Abbasiyah Hummiyat Hospital and then deported to his country. There were also three childbirth procedures for three women who had the virus. These were accompanied by considerable turmoil, because physicians and nurses were fearful about becoming infected as a result of their involvement in those procedures. "In the past we used to destroy everything that was used by patients, and we used to disinfect the entire room because we did not know for sure how the disease was transmitted. The unit where patients were kept in isolation used to be treated as though it were an awful place. Now, however, patients are not kept |
FBIS3-22526_12 | Report on AIDS Treatment, Statistics | get in spite of himself." Foreigners AL-MUSAWWAR: With regard to foreigners in Egypt, how do you ascertain that they do not have AIDS? Dr. 'Abd-al-Rahim replied, "A foreigner who comes to Egypt [and intends] to stay for several months or longer to study or to work is not given a work permit or a residence permit until he has been examined and a clean bill of health is issued to him by the central laboratories of the Ministry of Health. "With regard to transit tourists, however, no one has the right to examine them to ascertain that they are free of the virus. Their temporary residence does not pose a threat because the disease can only be transmitted through blood or sexual intercourse." In order to have the full picture about AIDS, one would naturally take a look at what is happening with AIDS in the world around us and also in the East Mediterranean, the area set off by the WHO. The WHO estimates that more than 10 million adults and children worldwide have been infected with the AIDS virus since it was first discovered. Approximately two million persons are now in an advanced stage of the disease, which starts, on the average, 10 years after a person is infected with the virus for the first time. The organization estimates that the total number of men, women, and children infected with the AIDS virus by the year 2000 will be between 30 and 40 million persons. Between 12 and 18 million persons will have full-blown AIDS by then, and approximately 90 percent of the people who are expected to become infected with the AIDS virus during this decade will be in developing countries. The WHO expects developing countries to suffer more from the spread of this disease because the supreme political authorities in those countries do not provide adequate support for the efforts that are necessary to prevent this disease and to fight against it. There are also other fundamental obstacles to the effective prevention of this disease. There is, for example, ignorance about the nature of the disease, and there is denial that a relationship exists between AIDS, on the one hand, and an individual or society, on the other. Another obstacle is the failure to deal seriously with the disease or the inability to do something about its enormously catastrophic nature. Other obstacles include the low social |
FBIS3-22526_13 | Report on AIDS Treatment, Statistics | starts, on the average, 10 years after a person is infected with the virus for the first time. The organization estimates that the total number of men, women, and children infected with the AIDS virus by the year 2000 will be between 30 and 40 million persons. Between 12 and 18 million persons will have full-blown AIDS by then, and approximately 90 percent of the people who are expected to become infected with the AIDS virus during this decade will be in developing countries. The WHO expects developing countries to suffer more from the spread of this disease because the supreme political authorities in those countries do not provide adequate support for the efforts that are necessary to prevent this disease and to fight against it. There are also other fundamental obstacles to the effective prevention of this disease. There is, for example, ignorance about the nature of the disease, and there is denial that a relationship exists between AIDS, on the one hand, and an individual or society, on the other. Another obstacle is the failure to deal seriously with the disease or the inability to do something about its enormously catastrophic nature. Other obstacles include the low social and economic status of women, the traditional and cultural practices that make transmittal of the disease easier, and the avoidance of informed and frank discussions about sexual matters. Dr. Muhammad Hilmi Wahdan, director of prevention at WHO's East Mediterranean regional office, said, "Incontrovertible evidence has proved that the AIDS virus is transmitted basically through the vehicle of individual conduct. In some societies risky factors and practices are widespread, quite openly. People do not think twice about engaging in such practices, and they do very little to prevent them. In such cases society has to play a significant role, and it has to intervene if it really wants to protect individuals' health as well as public health from an AIDS invasion. In other societies where risky factors and practices are rejected outright by society, these factors and practices take place in secret, and governments cannot do much to affect them. It is in those instances that the role of society becomes important: to confront what is being done in secret and to discuss it candidly and unequivocally. The Features of the Epidemic The WHO identifies the features of the AIDS epidemic in the East Mediterranean region. The most important of them |
FBIS3-22526_14 | Report on AIDS Treatment, Statistics | and economic status of women, the traditional and cultural practices that make transmittal of the disease easier, and the avoidance of informed and frank discussions about sexual matters. Dr. Muhammad Hilmi Wahdan, director of prevention at WHO's East Mediterranean regional office, said, "Incontrovertible evidence has proved that the AIDS virus is transmitted basically through the vehicle of individual conduct. In some societies risky factors and practices are widespread, quite openly. People do not think twice about engaging in such practices, and they do very little to prevent them. In such cases society has to play a significant role, and it has to intervene if it really wants to protect individuals' health as well as public health from an AIDS invasion. In other societies where risky factors and practices are rejected outright by society, these factors and practices take place in secret, and governments cannot do much to affect them. It is in those instances that the role of society becomes important: to confront what is being done in secret and to discuss it candidly and unequivocally. The Features of the Epidemic The WHO identifies the features of the AIDS epidemic in the East Mediterranean region. The most important of them are: - Infection came into the region late. At first people became infected by imported blood or as a result of sexual intercourse with persons from areas where the virus was widespread. - Prostitution is illegal [in the region], but it is secretly practiced even though the extent to which it is being practiced is not known. - The extent to which drugs are administered by injection is not known, but the problem is not a simple one. - These countries attach significant importance to the ethical values that are imposed by religion and society. By September 1992 the total number of cases reported [to the WHO] from 20 countries in the East Mediterranean region had amounted to 1,399. In addition, there were 308 cases of illnesses that occur with AIDS and are associated with it, and there were 4,641 cases of people who had been infected with the AIDS virus but who had not shown symptoms of the disease. It is estimated, however, that the real number of cases exceeds these figures, because in many countries diagnosis remains inadequate and cases are under-reported. The East Mediterranean region is an area that extends from the Maghreb [to the west of |
FBIS3-22526_16 | Report on AIDS Treatment, Statistics | that region] all the way to Afghanistan in the east. Seventy-five percent of those who have AIDS are male, and 25 percent are female. The age group that has the highest number of reported cases is that group that is between the ages of 30 and 39. Those between the ages of 20 and 29 are the group with the second highest number of reported cases. That is followed by the group that is made up of those between the ages of 15 and 19. Almost nine-tenths of the cases occurred among those who are between 15 and 39 years old. Sexual intercourse is the leading way of transmitting the virus. It is the cause of infection in about 77 percent of reported cases. Whereas heterosexual sex, which is the prevalent form of sex, accounted for 69 percent of those cases, it was also noticed that homosexual relationships accounted for eight percent of the sexually transmitted cases of the disease. Blood transfusions and blood products accounted for 15 percent of the cases; intravenous drug use accounted for six percent; and finally, two percent of AIDS cases became infected during childbirth. Sex Education If these are the most important characteristics of how AIDS was spread worldwide and in the East Mediterranean region, what might be the true picture of how the disease was spread in Egypt, which is located in the heart of the Middle East? Do we have a civilized, scientific approach for dealing with this danger that is coming our way? Is our approach based on confronting the facts and acting on the basis of those facts, or are we burying our heads in the sand in an attempt to escape and delay the danger? WHO figures indicate that sexual activity is one of the leading causes of infection with the AIDS virus in the East Mediterranean region. It is the cause of infection in 77 percent of all cases. People who are uptight will undoubtedly speak up here and declare that homosexual activity, which is the main cause of infection, is prohibited by our religion. Unfortunately, however, sexual activity among homosexuals accounts for no more than eight percent of the cases of infection, whereas normal sexual activity accounts for 69 percent of all cases of infection with the disease. It is that which is making sexual conduct the focus of direct attention. That is where the emphasis must |
FBIS3-22531_0 | Mystery Disease Claims Lives in Orissa | Language: English Article Type:CSO [Text] Berhampur, December 6 -- An unidentified disease has claimed 25 lives during the past 30 days in Ramgiri village of Gajapati district in Orissa. A 40-year-old man died of the disease recently. The symptoms of the disease which has claimed victims in the age-group of four to 50 years, includes mild fever and loose motion. Lack of adequate staff at the only health centre here has deprived the villagers of medical aid and they are forced to rely on quacks. Many of the better-off Villagers have deserted their homes fearing the disease, which is suspected to be meningitis. Meanwhile, some 10 persons have reportedly died of dysentry in the nearby-Parlakhemeundi town recently. Official sources, however, put the death toll at two. Some 200 persons, including children, are said to have been affected. |
FBIS3-22534_1 | AIDS Coverage in NIS Press | actually funded was the federal purchase of test systems for territories. Pokrovskiy thinks that the federal government may not fund the program at all in 1994-95. Other problems affecting the Russian AIDS control program, according to Pokrovskiy, are the failure of the AIDS centers to focus on prevention of sexual transmission of AIDS and the failure to allocate manpower and organize AIDS control institutions where the incidence is greatest (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA 1 Dec 93). HIV Incidence The number of Russian HIV carriers began to increase rapidly in 1993. Eighty new HIV carriers were identified, and 32 HIV-positive patients developed AIDS. Of the 692 HIV carriers detected in Russia, 124 are AIDS patients, 96 have died, and 435 are foreigners and have been deported (Moscow IZVESTIYA 3 Dec 93). The average age of the AIDS patients was 28, and the ratio of men to women was 8 to 1. Two of the HIV-infected were donors (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). According to Vadim Pokrovskiy, director of the Russian Center for AIDS Prevention and Control, the pattern of HIV transmission in Russia has changed. Starting in 1990 HIV has spread predominantly among Russian homosexuals and to some extent among intravenous drug users. Initially, the virus was spread primarily by foreigners or through medical negligence. Pokrovskiy predicts a sharp rise in incidence among drug users within the next two years (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93). A front-page column in MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA lists the incidence of HIV carriers by city and oblast. Moscow leads with 125, 70 percent of whom are male homosexuals. Following it are three localities where the infected are primarily victims of medical negligence in 1988-89: Rostov Oblast with 109 carriers, Kalmykia with 98 and Volgograd Oblast with 72. HIV was sexually transmitted to most of the 59 St. Petersburg and 33 Moscow Oblast patients. Twenty territories have no identified AIDS carriers and the rest have a few each (Moscow MEDITSINSKAYA GAZETA l Dec 93). Testing Twenty-five million people were tested for AIDS in Russia during 1992, 21 million in 1993 (Moscow KOMMERSANT-DAILY 17 Nov 93, KOMSOMOLSKAYA PRAVDA 1 Dec 93). For initial screening, laboratories use domestically produced test systems, which are less reliable than foreign systems. Specimens that test positive are sent to the Russian Scientific Methodological Center for AIDS Control, where foreign test systems and computer analysis are used to confirm the diagnosis. Positive results at this stage |
FBIS3-22535_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 21-27 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 21 to 27 February concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. The source follows each item. Angola Tuberculosis -- "Tuberculosis is increasing at an alarming rate in Cuito. About 180 cases of the disease were recorded in the area between January and 20 February. Statistic figures issued yesterday by the Cuito Hospital laboratory state that the increase in the number of tuberculosis cases is due to the poor food conditions faced by the residents. In the same period, 143 malaria cases were diagnosed, caused by the proliferation of mosquitoes which transmit the disease, resulting in a high number of deaths." (Luanda TPA Television Network in Portuguese 1930 GMT 22 Feb 94) Mozambique Malaria -- "More than 220 people died of malaria in Inhambane Province in 1993, according to sources at the provincial health directorate. They added that the outbreak of the disease is due to rains which over the past few days have been falling regularly in that area, contributing to the proliferation of mosquitoes." (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Feb 94 p 1) Malaria -- "Ten thousand cases of malaria were reported in South Africa last year, the most since 1976. This has been disclosed in Durban by Dr. Brian Sharp of the Medical Research Council, who said that the increase was due to the growing resistance of the disease to anti-malarial drugs. The country's high-risk regions, he said, were Northern Natal and the Northern and Eastern Transvaal." (Johannesburg Radio South Africa Network in English 1100 GMT 25 Feb 94] Diarrhea -- "Diarrhea has killed at least 15 people in the administrative area of (Nihana), in Nampula Province's Mecuburi District, between 13 and 20 February. The administrator for Mecuburi District disclosed that an epidemic of diarrhea has broken out in the area." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 26 Feb 94) Swaziland AIDS -- Minister of Health Derek von Wissel told nurses to prepare to cope with a flood of AIDS patients during the next two years. Mr. von Wissel said it has been projected that about 10,000 people in Swaziland will die of AIDS during that time. Speaking to graduating nurses, Mr. von Wissel said a survey had shown that in Swaziland one in every five people had the virus. He said |
FBIS3-22535_1 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 21-27 February | by country and disease. The source follows each item. Angola Tuberculosis -- "Tuberculosis is increasing at an alarming rate in Cuito. About 180 cases of the disease were recorded in the area between January and 20 February. Statistic figures issued yesterday by the Cuito Hospital laboratory state that the increase in the number of tuberculosis cases is due to the poor food conditions faced by the residents. In the same period, 143 malaria cases were diagnosed, caused by the proliferation of mosquitoes which transmit the disease, resulting in a high number of deaths." (Luanda TPA Television Network in Portuguese 1930 GMT 22 Feb 94) Mozambique Malaria -- "More than 220 people died of malaria in Inhambane Province in 1993, according to sources at the provincial health directorate. They added that the outbreak of the disease is due to rains which over the past few days have been falling regularly in that area, contributing to the proliferation of mosquitoes." (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Feb 94 p 1) Malaria -- "Ten thousand cases of malaria were reported in South Africa last year, the most since 1976. This has been disclosed in Durban by Dr. Brian Sharp of the Medical Research Council, who said that the increase was due to the growing resistance of the disease to anti-malarial drugs. The country's high-risk regions, he said, were Northern Natal and the Northern and Eastern Transvaal." (Johannesburg Radio South Africa Network in English 1100 GMT 25 Feb 94] Diarrhea -- "Diarrhea has killed at least 15 people in the administrative area of (Nihana), in Nampula Province's Mecuburi District, between 13 and 20 February. The administrator for Mecuburi District disclosed that an epidemic of diarrhea has broken out in the area." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 26 Feb 94) Swaziland AIDS -- Minister of Health Derek von Wissel told nurses to prepare to cope with a flood of AIDS patients during the next two years. Mr. von Wissel said it has been projected that about 10,000 people in Swaziland will die of AIDS during that time. Speaking to graduating nurses, Mr. von Wissel said a survey had shown that in Swaziland one in every five people had the virus. He said the impending crisis would present hospitals with complex problems and will be making big demands on the Swazi medical profession. (Johannesburg Channel Africa Radio in English 1600 GMT 25 Feb 94) |
FBIS3-22544_2 | AIDS Statistics, Programs Reported AIDS Cases Increase in Bali | December, Doctor Tuti thought that this was a positive sign. This is because this disease is not just the responsibility of the Department of Health. Neither is it possible for the matter to be resolved through the media alone, because there is a close connection with sexual behavior. According to Dr. Tuti Parwati, who is also chairperson of the Indonesian Business Image Foundation [YCUI] and is active in the field of handling AIDS, the involvement of businessmen in this area is very much needed. For example, in helping to provide funds to support community information activity. The same thing is true with businessmen in the tourism field in particular. They can provide warnings of the danger of AIDS to their hotel guests. A similar view was expressed by Dr. A.A. Gde Muninjaya, MPH [master's degree in public health], chairman of the Epidemiological Research and Training Unit of Udayana University. He said, for example, that the involvement of the Department of Manpower in handling AIDS is intended, among other things, to provide security and protection to workers known to be infected with the AIDS virus. Those who suffer from AIDS can be protected from being dismissed from their jobs or from being quarantined. Doctor Muninjaya said: "As long as those suffering from AIDS are not quarantined, as happens in Western countries, we must take action quickly to protect them." Regarding activities to celebrate World AIDS Day in 1993, Dr. Tuti Parwati said that, in cooperation with a number of senior high schools and the Student Senate of the Faculty of Medicine at Udayana University, the YCUI sponsored the "World AIDS Day Walkathon" at the end of November 1993. After that a discussion was held with students at senior high schools concerning the danger of AIDS and related problems facing us. According to Doctor Tuti, the AIDS problem cannot be handled by only one or two events each year. Rather, it must be handled on a continuing basis. The information efforts undertaken by the YCUI up to the present have included the formation of discussion groups, at which persons suffering from AIDS talk about their feelings and the problems which they face. One of them, who has previously been provided with a variety of information, acts as the chairman of the meeting. Doctor Tuti said that the attitude of persons suffering from AIDS who have received this training has been very positive. |
FBIS3-22546_1 | Hospitals Preparing To Treat AIDS Patients | hospitals throughout Jakarta, it was learned that hospitals are generally ready. "The problem, however, is that their perception of treating AIDS is not yet the same," said Dr. Samsuridjal Djauzi, an internist who also handles AIDS at the RSCM. A discussion panel participant from PELNI [Indonesian National Maritime Company] Hospital admitted, "We feel awkward explaining AIDS to a patient or the patient's family." Thus, procedures for the counseling of patients are clearly important, and not only from the medical aspect. "They are often stressed and afraid and still consider AIDS a stigma or something unusual," Samsuridjal said. Dr. Lukas Mangindaan, a psychiatrist who provides AIDS counseling at RSCM, said that counseling is necessary in order to find out how much the patient and the patient's family know about HIV. "Discussion of sexual matters must be done in a way that does not embarrass or offend the patient. Questions about sex need to have a special place in AIDS consultation, because most transmission of HIV occurs through sexual relations," Lukas said. At RSCM, patients infected with HIV, and especially AIDS, are treated immediately without the patient being put to the trouble of administrative procedures and questions of advance payment. In fact, RSCM also gives basic medicines without charge. These include antibiotics and lifesaving medicines of an emergency nature, such as infusions. The upgrading of hospital facilities to treat AIDS patients is actually not a difficult matter. Of course, additional cost, such as for procuring gloves, will be incurred to prevent spread of the disease. The use of gloves, however, is not just for AIDS, because there should be safety measures to prevent the spread of disease between doctors/staff and patients and among patients. For that reason, doctors, nurses, and cleaning staff must use gloves. It is clear that doctors, nurses, laboratories, administrative staff, and cleaning personnel must be prepared for treating AIDS patients. Samsuridjal described RSCM's experience. When an AIDS case was diagnosed, links had already been established with the clinical laboratory and clinical pathologist so that when a specimen was taken from the patient, it was immediately dealt with safely. In addition, within the AIDS treatment team a doctor must be appointed to be responsible. When that is not done, sometimes not even one doctor examines a patient. "The important thing is the willingness of doctors and hospitals to treat AIDS patients," said Samsuridjal. There have been hospitals that for |
FBIS3-22546_2 | Hospitals Preparing To Treat AIDS Patients | RSCM also gives basic medicines without charge. These include antibiotics and lifesaving medicines of an emergency nature, such as infusions. The upgrading of hospital facilities to treat AIDS patients is actually not a difficult matter. Of course, additional cost, such as for procuring gloves, will be incurred to prevent spread of the disease. The use of gloves, however, is not just for AIDS, because there should be safety measures to prevent the spread of disease between doctors/staff and patients and among patients. For that reason, doctors, nurses, and cleaning staff must use gloves. It is clear that doctors, nurses, laboratories, administrative staff, and cleaning personnel must be prepared for treating AIDS patients. Samsuridjal described RSCM's experience. When an AIDS case was diagnosed, links had already been established with the clinical laboratory and clinical pathologist so that when a specimen was taken from the patient, it was immediately dealt with safely. In addition, within the AIDS treatment team a doctor must be appointed to be responsible. When that is not done, sometimes not even one doctor examines a patient. "The important thing is the willingness of doctors and hospitals to treat AIDS patients," said Samsuridjal. There have been hospitals that for lack of experience have been unwilling to treat patients and have sent them to RSCM. "That should not happen," said Dr. Kartono Muhammad, general chairman of the IDI [Indonesia Physicians Association]. Besides RSCM, other hospitals in Jakarta are able to treat AIDS victims. They include MMC [expansion not given] Hospital, PERTAMINA [National Oil and Natural Gas Company] Hospital, Kramat Hospital, Mitra Keluarga Hospital, and St. Carolus Hospital. According to Broto Wasisto, for the treatment of AIDS the focus is generally on class A and B hospitals, which have specialist doctors and complete facilities. Many nurses from class A and B hospitals have been sent overseas to learn how to care for AIDS patients. "Two years ago Indonesia sent nurses to Australia, the United States, and Thailand," Broto said. According to Samsuridjal, AIDS has attacked not only residents of big cities but people from small cities, too. He recommended, therefore, that class C hospitals -- which normally are in the provinces -- also be prepared. Broto said there are two steps that class C hospitals must take if they receive AIDS patients: Send them to class A or B hospitals, or bring in specialists from class A or B hospitals. This |
FBIS3-22549_0 | Khammouan Diarrhea Deaths Reported | Language: Lao Article Type:CSO [Unattributed report: "Domestic News Summary"] [Excerpt] [Passage omitted] A source from Khammouan Province reported that from April until the end of August there had been a serious outbreak of diarrhea in some towns: in Hinboun District 14 had died from diarrhea, in Boualapha District 26 had died, in Gnommalat District 57 had died, in Mahaxai District 22 had died, in Thakhek District 15 had died, and in recreation areas another 6 had died. Throughout Khammouan Province 140 had died from this disease. [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-22551_0 | AIDS Incidence in Women Grouped by Age | Language: Thai Article Type:CSO [Excerpts] At a seminar on controlling and preventing AIDS in children that was held by the Ministry of Public Health at the Ambassador Hotel last Monday, Dr. Detchawan Phatisuwan, a preventive medicine expert and a senior doctor at the Department of Medical Services, Ministry of Public Health, said that AIDS is spreading rapidly among both sexes and among all age and occupational groups. Statistics of the Epidemiology Division, Ministry of Public Health, show that as of 31 August 1993, there were 3,000 people with full-blown cases of AIDS and 2,623 with AIDS-related symptoms. A total of 510 people have died. Of those with AIDS, 259 are children in the 0 to 14 age group. Most of these contracted the virus from their mother. [passage omitted] Some people have predicted that by the year 2000, approximately 80,000 children will have AIDS. As of today, there is no cure for this disease. Thus, prevention is at the heart of controlling the spread of this disease. [passage omitted] Dr. Wimon Siriwathin, an obstetrician at the Ratchawithi Hospital, said that a report from Mahidol University predicts that this year, there will be 136,532 cases of AIDS in women between the ages of 15 and 49. And from monitoring the incidence of AIDS in pregnant women, the Epidemiology Division has found that three northern provinces have the highest number of pregnant women with AIDS. The Ratchawithi Hospital, which has one of the largest obstetrics departments in Bangkok, has found that the number of pregnant women with AIDS is increasing rapidly. During the first 6 months of this year, 145 pregnant women, or 1.52 percent of the 9,644 women who gave birth, were found to have the AIDS virus. Most of these women were between the ages of 17 and 31. Besides this, Dr. Usa Thitsayakon, a pediatrician at the Chulalongkorn Hospital, said that studies conducted at the Chulalongkorn Hospital have shown that most of the children with AIDS contracted the disease from their mother. And most of the women contracted the disease from their husbands, who used the services of prostitutes. The study also showed that the rate of infection from mother to child is 33.3 percent. |
FBIS3-22552_0 | High Probability for AIDS in STD Victims | Language: Thai Article Type:CSO [Excerpts] [Passage omitted] On 5 October, the Public and Community Development Association, Thai Red Cross, Department of Public Welfare, and private companies issued a statement on the "Ban Than Nam Chai" project. This statement was issued by Mr. Michai Wirawaithaya, president of the association; Mr. Wirasit Titthitrai, deputy director for social affairs of the AIDS Project, Thai Red Cross; Mrs. Suraphi Wasinon from the Department of Public Welfare, and Dr. Usa Thitsayadon, an obstetrician at Chulalongkorn Hospital. Concerning the AIDS situation, Mr. Michai said that the number of people with AIDS continues to rise. In particular, the rate of infection among prostitutes and drug addicts is very high. And a very worrisome group is pregnant women, among whom the rate of infection has doubled since last year, increasing from 1 percent to almost 2 percent this year. Every year, about 2 million women become pregnant. Thus, about 20,000 pregnant women have AIDS. Almost 6,000 infants have been born with AIDS and died. About two-thirds of the children who survive, that is approximately 18,000 [as published], will become orphans because the mother will die of AIDS. The Department of Public Welfare cannot look after all these children who have lost their mothers, because the number of such children is double the number that the department is now looking after. [passage omitted] Mr. Michai said that the risk of contracting AIDS is 10 to 30 times greater for those who have a venereal disease, which includes syphilis, herpes, and chancroid. In particular, those people who have syphilis and who contract the AIDS virus usually die very quickly. The virus, which usually spreads to the brain slowly, will spread to the brain very rapidly. "AIDS will continue to spread as long as Thai men continue to have sexual relations with prostitutes. Today, there are about 600,000 to 800,000 people with the disease, or an average of approximately 700,000. This figure comes from the Ministry of Public Health." Mr. Wirasit talked about youths and housewives. He said that it is very difficult to control the spread of this disease in these groups. The average age of these people is between 20 and 29. In these two groups, the number of people with AIDS is increasing at a rate of 500 to 700 people a day. "Women are at great risk of contracting AIDS because they trust their husbands. Today, about |
FBIS3-22556_2 | Regional Health Report Through 11 February | that percentage shrunk to only 3 percent last year. (San Salvador Canal Doce Television in Spanish 0300 GMT 8 Feb 94) Guatemala AIDS -- Local daily DIARIO DE CENTROAMERICA reported on 9 February that more than 33,000 people have been infected with AIDS in this country. Citing government sources, the report indicated that 476 cases were reported up to November 1993, which, according to the internationally recognized proportion, brings the total of infected persons to 33,000. In 1993 the number of cases increased by 400 percent, and there was one woman infected for every three men. (Hamburg DPA in Spanish 2035 GMT 9 Feb 94) Honduras Cholera -- The Public Health Ministry reported on 8 February that 83 new cases of cholera have been confirmed this year, bringing the total to 4,013 since 1991. The head of the Cholera Program explained that the new cases are concentrated in the Departments of Valle, Choluteca, El Paraiso, Colon, Atlantida, and Cortes in the south, central, and northern regions of the country. So far 123 cholera- related fatalities have been registered, the report concluded. (Panama City ACAN in Spanish 2335 GMT 8 Feb 94) Medical funds -- The Japanese Government has donated $1 million to be used in health programs. The funds will be delivered to major hospitals for upgrading health care programs and purchasing medicine and medical equipment. (Tegucigalpa EL PERIODICO DE HONDURAS in Spanish 9 Feb 94 p 10) Mexico Cholera -- Medical authorities reported 41 persons were diagnosed with cholera last week, for a total of 114 so far this year. The Health Secretariat reported that 9,808 persons were attacked by the virus and 177 of them died in 1993. (Mexico City NOTIMEX in Spanish 0312 GMT 5 Feb 94) AIDS -- Mexico ranks third in the number of reported AIDS cases on the continent, after the United States and Brazil, with more than 17,000 cases registered with the Health Secretariat. The figure could be larger because many of the cases may not be reported to the authorities. (Madrid EFE in Spanish 1727 GMT 8 Feb 94) Nicaragua Cholera -- The Health Ministry reported 305 cholera cases so far this year; five of the patients have died. (Managua Sistema Nacional Television Network in Spanish 0100 GMT 4 Feb 94) Cholera -- The cholera virus infected every crewman aboard a lobster fishing boat at Bluefields. One of them died as a |
FBIS3-22557_0 | Regional Health Report Through 18 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on regional health and epidemiology developments monitored through 18 February. The source is cited in parentheses following each item. Costa Rica Erythema -- Infection specialist Adriano Arguedas has disclosed that infectious erythema has again appeared in the country. He said, however, that although it has not reached the epidemic level several cases have been treated at private clinics and the National Children's Hospital over the past few weeks. (San Jose LA REPUBLICA in Spanish 12 Feb 94 p 6A) Cuba AIDS -- The Cuban AIDS program has controlled the disease on the island. Thanks to massive testing using a Cuban diagnosis system, 987 HIV- positive cases have been detected, 230 of which have contracted the disease and 147 have died. (Havana Radio Havana Cuba in Spanish 0000 GMT 15 Feb 94) Honduras AIDS -- Honduran Government sources have announced that by the end of 1994 approximately 70,000 people in Honduras will have AIDS. Since 1985, 3,325 cases have been reported: 2,228 men and 1,097 women, including children between the ages of newborn and 14. According to Health Ministry sources, 907 new cases were reported in 1993. The areas where the most cases have been detected are Cortes Department with 1,638 cases and Francisco Morazan with 529. The Ministry source said most of the victims are youths between the ages of 15 and 25, and most have contracted the disease through promiscuous activities. (Panama City ACAN in Spanish 1754 GMT 17 Feb 94) Cholera -- The Honduran Health Ministry has confirmed that a resurgence of cholera in the eastern part of the country has claimed the lives of seven people. Since the disease first appeared in 1991, 4,500 cases have been detected and 123 people have died. Last weekend, 230 cases were reported in eastern Honduras. (Panama City ACAN in Spanish 2149 GMT 17 Feb 94) Mexico Cholera -- The Mexican Health Secretariat has disclosed that in January 73 cases of cholera were reported, a 60 percent decrease in comparison to January 1993. As for deaths, only one was reported in January. The states most affected with the disease were Tabasco and Chiapas, 30 and 23 cases respectively. Meanwhile, 32 cases of cholera were reported in the first week of February, most of them in Tabasco State. Since the disease first appeared in Mexico in 1991, 9,000 people have contracted |
FBIS3-22558_0 | Regional Health Report Through 25 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on regional health and epidemiology developments monitored through 25 February. Source is cited in parentheses after each item. Costa Rica Dengue -- In 1993, a total of 4,530 dengue cases were reported, while so far this year 790 have already been registered. (San Jose LA REPUBLICA in Spanish 16 Feb p 6A) Swine Flu Virus -- On 25 February, Costa Rican health authorities confirmed the presence of swine flu virus in the country, and they announced strict measures to prevent an epidemic. As of 25 February, 1,800 hogs have been killed and another 8,000-10,000 might need to be killed nationwide. (Mexico City NOTIMEX in Spanish 1925 GMT 25 Feb 94) Guatemala Cholera -- On 22 February, a report indicated that during the last two and one-half years, the cholera epidemic -- which affects an average of 54 Guatemalans a day -- has left some 600 people dead. So far in 1994, two deaths and 903 cases have been reported. (Mexico City NOTIMEX in Spanish 2247 GMT 22 Feb 94) Honduras Cholera -- The Honduran Public Ministry has declared eastern El Paraiso Department bordering Nicaragua an emergency area because of a cholera outbreak. According to official figures, since 1991, when cholera was first detected in Honduras, some 130 people have died while 4,500 people have contracted the disease. (Panama City ACAN in Spanish 1436 GMT 19 Feb 94) Mexico Malaria -- On 24 February, health authorities in Quintana Roo State detected the first case of a fatal variant of malaria on the banks of the Hondo River bordering Belize. (Mexico City NOTIMEX in Spanish 1754 GMT 24 Feb 94) Panama Hemorrhagic dengue -- On 24 February, Health Ministry officials announced they will cordon off the area along the border with Costa Rica because of an outbreak of hemorrhagic dengue. (Panama City EL SIGLO in Spanish 25 Feb 94 p 61) Peru Cholera -- Health records indicate that six people have died of cholera in recent days in Cusco Department: three in the Paruro Province and another three in the Anta Province. (Lima Radio Programas del Peru Network in Spanish 1800 GMT 22 Feb 94) |
FBIS3-22560_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 3 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 3 February. Argentina Meningitis vacine -- Cuban meningitis vaccine was used for the first time on 27 January in Argentina. In Cordoba Municipal Children's Hospital, 50 children with immune deficiencies or cancer were the first to receive a dose of the vaccine, which is administered in two doses. National health authorities authorized the use of the vaccine on 14 January, but only La Pampa Province announced plans to start experimental vaccination. Cholera -- The Health Ministry also announced that since the outbreak of cholera in February 1992 the nation has spent more than 30 million pesos on preventive measures, most on improving sanitation and providing drinking water in the northern provinces. (Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES HERALD in English 28 Jan 94 p 11) Cholera -- Ten more cases of cholera have been reported in Salta Province, bringing to 268 the total number of victims in Salta since 1 January. The first case of cholera has been reported in San Juan Province -- a Bolivian woman living in Mendoza Province. (Buenos Aires Radio Nacional Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 3 Feb 94) Bolivia Cholera -- The Health Ministry reported 181 cholera cases last week nationwide. This figure breaks down as follows: La Paz, three; El Alto, four; Cochabamba, two; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 60; Tarija, 77; Tupisa, 27; and Potosi, four. (La Paz Television Boliviana Network in Spanish 1700 GMT 1 Feb 94) Brazil Cholera -- According to a Health Ministry report, 3,132 new cholera cases were reported from 20 to 27 January. So far this year, 6,954 persons have contracted the disease. The most cases were reported in Ceara State, followed by Paraiba. (Brasilia Radio Nacional da Amazonia Network in Portuguese 0900 GMT 28 Jan 94) AIDS -- On 1 February, the Health Ministry reported that 810 new AIDS cases were registered nationwide. The number of cases in Rio de Janeiro increased 9.3 percent, rising from 218 to 233 from November to December, compared with Sao Paulo, where 179 cases were detected. A total of 45,859 cases were registered from 1980 to 1993. (Rio de Janeiro O GLOBO in Portuguese 2 Feb 94 p 8) Paraguay Leishmaniasis -- More than 20 people are infected with leishmaniasis in the rural Santa Lucia settlement in Alto Parana Department. The first cases were detected four |
FBIS3-22560_1 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 3 February | experimental vaccination. Cholera -- The Health Ministry also announced that since the outbreak of cholera in February 1992 the nation has spent more than 30 million pesos on preventive measures, most on improving sanitation and providing drinking water in the northern provinces. (Buenos Aires BUENOS AIRES HERALD in English 28 Jan 94 p 11) Cholera -- Ten more cases of cholera have been reported in Salta Province, bringing to 268 the total number of victims in Salta since 1 January. The first case of cholera has been reported in San Juan Province -- a Bolivian woman living in Mendoza Province. (Buenos Aires Radio Nacional Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 3 Feb 94) Bolivia Cholera -- The Health Ministry reported 181 cholera cases last week nationwide. This figure breaks down as follows: La Paz, three; El Alto, four; Cochabamba, two; Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 60; Tarija, 77; Tupisa, 27; and Potosi, four. (La Paz Television Boliviana Network in Spanish 1700 GMT 1 Feb 94) Brazil Cholera -- According to a Health Ministry report, 3,132 new cholera cases were reported from 20 to 27 January. So far this year, 6,954 persons have contracted the disease. The most cases were reported in Ceara State, followed by Paraiba. (Brasilia Radio Nacional da Amazonia Network in Portuguese 0900 GMT 28 Jan 94) AIDS -- On 1 February, the Health Ministry reported that 810 new AIDS cases were registered nationwide. The number of cases in Rio de Janeiro increased 9.3 percent, rising from 218 to 233 from November to December, compared with Sao Paulo, where 179 cases were detected. A total of 45,859 cases were registered from 1980 to 1993. (Rio de Janeiro O GLOBO in Portuguese 2 Feb 94 p 8) Paraguay Leishmaniasis -- More than 20 people are infected with leishmaniasis in the rural Santa Lucia settlement in Alto Parana Department. The first cases were detected four years ago in this settlement of 150 families. (Asuncion ABC COLOR in Spanish 28 Jan 94 p 37) Measles -- Health Ministry Epidemiology Department Director Humberto Recalde reported that 1,500 measles cases were registered nationwide last year, 52 fatal. (Asuncion ABC COLOR in Spanish 2 Feb 94 p 38) Peru Poliomyelitis -- Poliomyelitis has reappeared in Peru after 28 months. The disease killed a 7-year-old girl recently in Apata District, Jauja Province, 30 km north of Huancayo. (Lima EXPRESO in Spanish 26 Jan 94 p A9) |
FBIS3-22562_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 16 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 16 February. Argentina Meningitis -- Ten 10 new meningitis cases were registered in Misiones Province. The overall number of cases in the province this year totals 28. In addition, another case was reported in La Plata, Buenos Aires Province. It also has been reported that the first lots of Cuban anti-meningitis vaccines are being tested at the Malgrand Institute in the federal capital. (Buenos Aires Radio Nacional Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 15 Feb 94) Cholera -- The Health and Social Action Ministry on 14 February reported that 11 new cholera cases have been confirmed in Salta, Jujuy, and Santiago del Esteo Provinces in the past 24 hours. The total number of cases nationwide has risen to 559 so far this year. (Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in Spanish 2157 GMT 14 Feb 94) Bolivia Chagas disease -- An official report released on 8 February shows that more than 1 million Bolivians are infected with chagas disease, of which 30 percent reportedly suffer some heart disease. The disease affects 55.6 percent of the territory, including seven departments. (La Paz PRESENCIA in Spanish 8 Feb 94 Second Section p 6) Brazil Cholera -- The Health Ministry on 11 February reported that 6,954 cholera cases and 30 fatalities were registered nationwide in January, which shows that the epidemic continues to spread. Most of the cases were in the northeast. (Madrid EFE in Spanish 0040 GMT 12 Feb 94) Cholera -- Cholera reappeared in Rio de Janeiro during Carnival. A total of 11 cases have been detected since 10 February, most in Niteroi. (Sao Paulo O ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 16 Feb 94 p 9) Chile AIDS -- Health Minister Julio Montt on 16 February released a report on AIDS in the country. The report says that so far 867 individuals have been registered as having the disease in Chile. Of this total, 93 percent are men; most cases appeared in the First, Second, Fourth, Fifth, and Metropolitan regions; 4.1 percent are younger than 20, 28 percent are between 20 and 29, 56.6 percent are between 30 and 49, and 11.1 percent are older than 49. (Santiago Television Nacional de Chile Imagen Internacional in Spanish 0000 GMT 16 Feb 94) Paraguay AIDS -- Dr. Nicolas Aguayo, director of the National Anti-AIDS Program, reported that 12 |
FBIS3-22563_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 24 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 24 February. Bolivia Cholera -- A total of 400 people died of cholera in 1992, while in 1993 fatalities dropped to 254. The total number of cases has risen to 654 since the disease was detected in 1992. Meanwhile, 12,000 children die of diarrhea every year, an average 30 children per day. (La Paz HOY in Spanish 11 Feb 94 pp 6-7) Brazil AIDS -- Poll figures released on 21 February indicate that the city of Sao Paulo had more AIDS cases in 1993 than San Francisco, California. From January to October, 2,878 cases were registered in Sao Paulo, while in San Francisco 1,507 new AIDS cases were registered during the same period of time. (Brasilia Voz do Brasil Network in Portuguese 2100 GMT 21 Feb 94) Leptospirosis -- The Epidemiology Control Center has reported that 52 leptospirosis cases have been registered registered in Greater Sao Paulo so far this year, of which 35 were detected in the capital. (Sao Paulo O ESTADO DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 23 Feb 94 p A10) |
FBIS3-22566_0 | April - June 1993 Sao Paulo AIDS Deaths | Language: Portuguese Article Type:CSO [Article by Luiz Roberto de Souza Queiroz: "AIDS Now Kills More Than Traffic in Sao Paulo"; introductory paragraph in italics as published] [Text] A survey reveals that the disease caused 684 deaths between April and June of last year. Deaths from AIDS in the capital already account for an absolute majority of all deaths caused by reportable diseases, surpassing tuberculosis, meningitis, and schistosomiasis. Now AIDS is also ahead of traffic deaths. It is surpassed only by homicides. The survey was made by the Municipal Funeral Service. Experts used death certificates from April through June of last year for the survey. During that period, reportable diseases were responsible for 940 deaths. Of that number, 684 were attributed to AIDS, 147 to tuberculosis, 60 to meningitis, 21 to meningococcal meningitis, 15 to schistosomiasis, seven to leptospirosis, and four to Hansen's disease. Tetanus and cholera caused one death each. In a comparative survey, the study shows that while AIDS killed 684 persons, homicides were responsible for 991 deaths, traffic accidents 447, other accidents 383, and suicides and self-inflicted injuries 98. Other external causes were responsible for 182 deaths. Although concerned by the percentage increase in deaths due to AIDS, which rose from 3.5 percent in 1991 to 4.1 percent in 1993, the Funeral Service notes that as far as general mortality is concerned, heart disease continues to be the leading cause of death: 36 percent of Sao Paulo City's residents die of heart disease, 15 percent die of cancer, and about 14 percent die of diseases of the respiratory tract. In fourth place are deaths due to external causes, which include homicide and accidents and are responsible for approximately 10 percent of all deaths. The report says that there is still a great deal of prejudice regarding AIDS -- so much so that 15 percent of the cases are discovered only after investigation based on the death certificate. This is because the physician, generally at the request of the family, reports the cause of death as an opportunistic infection rather than AIDS. Epidemiologists, made suspicious by the fact that a person died in his or her productive years, contact the physician and then confirm that it was in fact an AIDS case. |
FBIS3-22568_1 | AIDS Leading Cause of Death Among Sao Paulo Women | group throughout the state. The number represents 11.87 percent of the total deaths (4,412) recorded among the female population that year. The second cause of death after AIDS was tumors (468 fatalities). It was followed by vehicle accidents (370 cases), homicides (275), and pneumonia (194). The problem is serious among men as well. According to the survey, during 1992 AIDS was the second cause of death among the male population aged between 20 and 35 years (2,289 fatalities). Homicides ranked first (4,314 deaths). The 1993 figures are still being tabulated by the foundation's researchers. However, based on the records analyzed to date, AIDS continues to lead in the causes of death among women. Demographer Antonio Marangone Camargo claimed: "There is a rising trend in the number of deaths due to AIDS among this population." The progression in the numbers of deaths caused by AIDS has been observed by the Seade technicians for at least three years. In 1990, the deaths due to the disease among women aged between 20 and 24 years accounted for 7.58 percent of the deaths recorded in the state. During 1991, the proportion rose to 10.61 percent; and, in 1992, it reached 12.50 percent. Despite the alarming indexes, the specialists are not frightened. For example, Caio Rosenthal, a physician specializing in the study of infections at the Emilio Ribas Institute of Infection Studies, claimed that the rising trend in the number of deaths caused by AIDS among young women had already been anticipated. Rosenthal explained: "They comprise a sexually active population with less sexual stability, using drugs, and with behavior considered to be risky. It was predictable that this would ocurr, because we are in a country where there is no care for health, or family planning, and where the condom is one of the most expensive in the world." ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Among Males, Violence Kills More | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |The Five Principal Causes of Death Among Women Aged 20-35 Years | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Cause |Number of Deaths | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |AIDS |524 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Tumors |468 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Vehicle accidents |370 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Homicides |275 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Pneumonia |194 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |The Five Principal Causes of Death Among Men Aged 20-35 Years | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Cause |Number of Deaths | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Homicides |4,314 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |AIDS |2,289 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Vehicle accidents |1,992 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Pneumonia |498 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Tumors |414 | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |1992 figures | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |Source: Seade | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
FBIS3-22571_0 | Dengue Cases Rising, Tuberculosis Numbers Down | Language: Spanish Article Type:CSO [Text] Health Minister Jaime Freundt-Thurne announced that precautions have been taken to prevent propagation from a case of hemorrhagic (or type II) dengue, a disease that has occurred in the country for the first time. He claimed that it could prove lethal if the necessary measures are not adopted. He explained that classic dengue (type I), caused by the bite of the anopheles mosquito that transmits the disease, is common, primarily in the jungle and in certain northern zones. No cases of the "hemorrhagic" type or of type III, which are extremely serious diseases, had ever been reported. He noted that orders have been issued to fumigate the habitats and to send medicines for treatment. Those stricken with hemorrhagic dengue show not only bodily illness and high fever, symptoms of the so-called "classic" type, but also hemorrhages of various origins. Hence, as he explained, treatment based on consumption of liquids and blood transfusions is necessary. Dengue Arrived in 1953 If a chronology is made, it may be claimed that epidemics of simple dengue were first reported in the country during 1953 and 1958. Later, in 1990, there were isolated outbreaks in the cities of Iquitos, Tarapoto, and Pucallpa. During 1991, new cases were reported in the locality of Pachanaqui (Junin); and in 1992, in Zorritos (Lambayeque). During 1993, 80 cases were recorded in Sullana; 270 in Tarapoto alone; 34 in Junin; 34 in the Grau region; 177 in Loreto; 37 in San Martin; and 27 in Ucayali. During the week of 5-11 December, four cases were reported in Tarapoto. Tuberculosis and Cholera The health minister made these statements before signing an agreement with the minister of the Presidency, Manuel Vara Ochoa; the director of Foncodes [National Compensation and Social Development Fund], Arturo Woodman; and the representative of the Pan-American Health Organization (PAHO), Luis Loyola. Its purpose is to carry out a program of prevention, control, and treatment for tuberculosis patients among populations at risk in Lima and Callao. He asserted that the incidence of TB has declined, and that, if this continues, it would mean that progress has been made in early diagnosis and public treatment with basic medications. Statistics in Lima and Callao The official statistics show that, in Lima and Callao, there were 26,200 cases in 1992 and 24,800 in 1993. Last year, 55,500 patients were reported throughout the country; and this year, the |
FBIS3-22572_0 | Total Cholera Cases in Country Down in 1993 | Language: Spanish Article Type:CSO [Text] Pucallpa, 14 Dec -- The vice minister of health, Dr. Eduardo Yong Motta, claimed: "The incidence of cholera in our country at present, compared with the cases that appeared in 1991 and 1992, has declined over 75 percent. This is due to the fact that the population is taking care of its health." He emphasized: "If the population continues to adopt preventive measures of a hygienic and sanitary type, we shall soon be able to state that cholera has been eradicated." He stressed the importance of reiterating certain measures, such as boiling water, protecting water supplies by chlorinating them, washing fruits and vegetables, washing hands, and others. 1994 Budget He also reported that the Ministry of Economy and Finance has expressed an interest in supporting the Health Ministry, by increasing the 1994 budget by 700,000 new soles. He explained that this will enable the sector to deal more easily with the health problems on the national level, especially those associated with infectious-contagious diseases. Yong preferred not to comment on the suspension of the state employees' registration in the AFP [Pension Fund Associations] ordered by the government. He remarked: "That comes under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Economy and Finance, not the Health Ministry. I think that the measure should be analyzed and assessed in its entirety, with the necessary good judgment, by those who have issued these orders." Yong Motta was in this city to inspect the status of the Health Ministry's services in Pucallpa, and to coordinate measures with the pertinent authorities. Health Policy With the regional health director, Antonio Mundini Medrano, he toured various settlements in the rural and riverside areas, coordinating national health policy action that must be implemented on the regional level. According to the report, they also inspected the health stations and centers, to assess the possibility of transferring them to the future private health service organizations (OSS). |
FBIS3-22578_0 | AIDS Numbers Said To Triple | Language: Urdu Article Type:CSO [News Report: "Number of AIDS Patients Triple in Pakistan"] [Text] Karachi, 1 December (AMN News) -- One 40-year old AIDS patient tried to commit suicide at her home in Karachi last October. This incident took place two months before the international AIDS day when the media were informing people all around the world about this fatal disease. The effort of this Karachi patient to commit suicide is considered an example of the lack of education in Pakistan. Both people and AIDS patients are careless about this deadly disease. The Karachi lady was found by a relative who had come there by chance for a visit and saved her life. This woman had seen two members of her family die. The bad luck of this woman began when her drug addict husband learned he had the deadly virus. In 1986 it was confirmed that this woman's husband had that poisonous virus, and he finally died of it. He had transferred the deadly virus to his wife and eight-year-old son before he died. A bigger problem than this is that our society does not accept AIDS patients, and the public attitude toward AIDS patients is very hostile and deplorable. Mr. Shaukat Ali, a social worker helping AIDS patients, said that it is important to look after AIDS patients; however, no attention is given to them. The people do not know much about the HIV positive condition; although, it is very dangerous. According to Dr. Sayyed Abdulmajib, the tendency to commit suicide by AIDS patients is the same around the world, and to reduce their suicide rate we must pay attention to them. People should change their attitude. They should know that the AIDS virus is not transferred by shaking hands or kissing, and AIDS patients cannot transfer this sickness to another. No part of the world is safe from this peril and its only solution is education. There is no cure for it. This disease came to Pakistan seven years ago. The number of patients is increasing continuously here, and it has tripled now. The number of HIV patients has reached 251 now, while in 1991 there were only 90 patients. |
FBIS3-22584_0 | Problems in Hospital Administration Noted Community Councils' Report | Language: English Article Type:CSO [Article by David Fletcher: "Fifty percent of All Hospitals `Run Short of Money'"] [Text] More than half of all hospitals have experienced such severe financial problems in the past year that they have been forced to close wards or exceed their budget, the Association of Community Health Councils says today. In a report assessing the impact of the health reforms, it says they have brought both benefits and disadvantages for patients. On the negative side: -- One in three hospitals has had to slow down the number of patients being admitted because of cash problems. -- Patients of non-fundholding GP's have found they cannot get into hospital as quickly as fundholders' patients. On the positive side: -- Waiting times to get into hospital have shortened. -- Fears that patients would have to travel further as the internal market developed have proved unfounded. The report is unable to reach clear-cut conclusions about the overall benefit of the reforms. It says: "Opinion is divided among community health councils about the impact of the reforms on the quality of care delivered. Some feel purchasers and GP's are more able to insist on higher standards. Others feel patient care is being compromised by cost-cutting and staff demoralisation." The report adds that there is little evidence of non-fundholding GP's having to change referral patterns to fit the contracts made by their health authorities. In contrast, "fundholding GP's are revealed as the most dynamic and disruptive sector of the NHS internal market. Thirty-eight percent of CHC's say local hospitals have lost patients because of fundholders. They have sent their patients to private hospitals or to other NHS hospitals. "Fundholders' patients can get better treatment, sometimes at the expense of other NHS patients. One in five CHC's report that fundholders' patients get priority access to local hospitals." Great difficulties have resulted from hospitals facing too much demand without purchasers having funds to match, says the report. |
FBIS3-22585_0 | Problems in Hospital Administration Noted Independent Analysts' Report | Language: English Article Type:CSO [Article by David Fletcher, Health Services correspondent: "NHS Reforms `Getting Out of Control' Warns Report"] [Text] One in three major hospitals, including recently formed trust hospitals, will be forced to close or amalgamate within seven years, says a report by independent analysts on the future of the NHS. "By the end of the decade the current shape of the NHS will be largely unrecognisable," says the report, issued today by Newchurch and Company, an independent business development organisation. It says the upheaval in the reorganisation of London hospitals will come to be regarded as no more than "modest change" and will be repeated in all big cities. "Whatever the merits of the Government's 1991 reforms, they have set in train a process of restructuring which will affect every facet of UK health care," adds the report. "It is a process that may now be beyond the powers of politicians and policy makers to control." The report argues that the growth of day treatment, the introduction of keyhole surgery, the fall in length of hospital stays and the shift to out-patient care was already leading to a need for fewer hospital beds. This over-capacity is now being exposed as competition between hospitals, introduced by the Government's NHS reforms, begins to bite. "Forces unleashed by the reforms are acting as a catalyst for other, wider pressures, and have set off a train of events which will lead inevitably to a rapid and fundamental redefinition in the who, how, and where of health care delivery. "These trends will particularly affect NHS trusts, many of which will have to face sometimes unpalatable decisions about how they function." The report says trust hospitals have substantial additional management costs and estimates that trust status adds at least £250,000 a year to running costs. "For some trusts, the economic pressures will prove terminal." District general hospitals, currently serving a population of about 200,000, will be expected to serve up to 500,000. "The workload of the acute hospital could expand by between 50-100 percent." Strategic Change in the NHS, Newchurch and Co Ltd., 12, Charterhouse Square, London EC1M 6AX. |
FBIS3-22589_1 | Roundup of Disease Reports for 15-18 February | settlements. The people faced severe problems due to lack of rainfall for the past 10 months. According to the secretary of the district administration, Mr. Isa Mohammad, more than 10,000 people face famine in Hareta, Gerefle, Hardila and another seven kebeles and that people are dying of dysentery every day. (Addis Ababa Voice of Ethiopia Network in Amharic 1700 GMT 15 Feb 94) Kenya AIDS -- The high rate at which the acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) is spreading in Kenya may cause a major decline in population growth, the KENYAN NEWS AGENCY (KNA) reported in Nairobi on Wednesday, quoting a report. The agency cited a newly-published report on the AIDS situation in Kenya according to which fertility rate is expected to drop fron 5.4 percent in 1990-93 to 4.2 percent by the year 2000 and further down to 3.5 percent by the year 2010. It also says that mortality resulting from a wide range of causes other than AIDS would decline while life expectancy would increase from about 57 years presently to 67 years by the year 2010 if there were no AIDS-related deaths. According to the report, Kenya's population would be growing at the rate of 2.5 percent per annum, by the year 2000. (Dakar PANA in English 1253 GMT 16 Feb 94) Nigeria Vagina festula -- The vagina festula disease is in on the upsurge in different parts of the country. Latest statistics show that about 200,000 cases of the disease have been recorded nationwide. (Lagos Radio Nigeria Network in English 1800 GMT 16 Feb 94) Uganda Diarrhea/measles -- A total of 112 Sudanese refugees in camps in north western Uganda are reported to have died of an assortment of diseases between 22 January to 11 February. A Uganda Red Cross (URC) report dated 14 February said the refugees died of diarrhoea, pneumonia, post measles, upper respiratory infections, injury, eye disease, skin disease and other minor infections. The report stated that the figures could be higher. The report also talked of a riot by refugees around mid-January when they held four URC workers hostage for sometime before police rescued them. The Red Cross workers were held as they attempted to carry out a census to establish population of North Kochi and Gbenge camps. They also wanted to re-organise the latter as it is over crowded, the report adds. (Dakar PANA in English 0955 GMT 16 Feb 94) |
FBIS3-22589_2 | Roundup of Disease Reports for 15-18 February | per annum, by the year 2000. (Dakar PANA in English 1253 GMT 16 Feb 94) Nigeria Vagina festula -- The vagina festula disease is in on the upsurge in different parts of the country. Latest statistics show that about 200,000 cases of the disease have been recorded nationwide. (Lagos Radio Nigeria Network in English 1800 GMT 16 Feb 94) Uganda Diarrhea/measles -- A total of 112 Sudanese refugees in camps in north western Uganda are reported to have died of an assortment of diseases between 22 January to 11 February. A Uganda Red Cross (URC) report dated 14 February said the refugees died of diarrhoea, pneumonia, post measles, upper respiratory infections, injury, eye disease, skin disease and other minor infections. The report stated that the figures could be higher. The report also talked of a riot by refugees around mid-January when they held four URC workers hostage for sometime before police rescued them. The Red Cross workers were held as they attempted to carry out a census to establish population of North Kochi and Gbenge camps. They also wanted to re-organise the latter as it is over crowded, the report adds. (Dakar PANA in English 0955 GMT 16 Feb 94) Tanzania Cholera -- Eight people died in the southern Tanzania district of Mtwara following a severe outbreak of cholera last week, a senior government official said here on 14 February, reports PANA. About 50 people are reported to have contracted the killer disease and are being treated at a village health center in Mtwara District, southern Tanzania. Cholera, which first broke out in Tanzania in 1977, has claimed more than 19,000 lives in the past 17 years, according to the Ministry of Health. The disease first broke out in villages along the Tanzania coast killing thousands of people before it was contained towards the end of 1982. However, despite government efforts to eradicate the cholera scourge, lack of drugs and poor environmental sanitation among Tanzanian villagers have contributed to the persistence of the disease. (Nairobi KNA in English 1435 GMT 14 Feb 94) Zaire Trypanosomiasis -- In the Bandundu region, an outbreak of trypanosomiasis has been reported in the Plateau subregion. Lack of medicine to fight the disease has resulted in hundreds of people dying everyday. (Kinshasa Voix du Zaire in French 1800 GMT 15 Feb 94) AIDS -- The major religious denominations in Zaire, namely the Catholic Church, the |
FBIS3-22590_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-20 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 14-20 February concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. Source follows each item. Mozambique Cholera -- A tota1 of 115 people died of cholera in Cabo Delgado Province in January. More than 250 cholera cases were recorded, also in January, in Chiure, Ancuabe, Metuge, Palma Districts and the city of Pemba. The Cabo Delgado provincial health director says 36 people have died of bloody diarrhea, while about 4,000 cases of bloody diarrhea have already been diagnosed in the province. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1730 GMT 14 Feb 94) Diarrhea -- Diarrhea has killed 25 people in Terceiro Congresso village, in Gaza Province's Massingir District, since the beginning of this year. Health authorities say the exact number of patients cannot be determined because many do not show up at health centers to report their ailments. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 17 Feb 94) Namibia Malaria -- Malaria cases have increased in large parts of Namibia, with the number of patients treated weekly in Owambo since last year nearly doubling. Over the past month between 20-25 patients were treated weekly for malaria at Oshakati, compared to 10-15 patients the year before. In Kavango a spokesman for the hospital at Rundu described the increase as "massive," adding that there were deaths, but that figures would be released later. (Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in Afrikaans 16 Feb 94 p 2) Zimbabwe AIDS -- "The reported cumulative total of full-blown AIDS cases in the country reached 27,905 by the end of last year but the National AIDS Coordination Programme [NACP] estimates that the actual total could be as high as 80,000 cases. Statistics compiled by NACP showed that Harare had the highest reported cumulative AIDS cases of 6,404, followed by Mashonaland East 3,318, Masvingo 3,040, Midlands 2,869, Bulawayo 2,865, and Manicaland 2,599. Nearly 60 percent of the cases were aged between 20 and 40, while 15 percent were below the age of five." (Harare THE HERALD in English 7 Feb 94 p 1) |
FBIS3-22591_0 | Roundup of Disease Reports 21-28 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of disease reports monitored from FBIS Abidjan Bureau and EAU coverage areas. Source information is given in parentheses after each item. Ivory Coast Malaria -- More than 2 million Africans die each year from malaria, half of them children under six, it was learned at a 2-25 February seminar in Abidjan attended by about 50 experts representing 17 countries and the WHO. In economic terms, this represents an estimated $1.7 billion loss in 1995 for sub-Sahara African countries. Prospects for marketing an anti-malaria vaccine were discussed at length by the participants but, as Dr. al-Hadi Benzerroug (Algeria WHO), the main moderator of the seminar, put it: "This is still in the realm of dreams." [Paris AFP in French 2010 GMT 25 Feb 94] Ethiopia Cholera -- There has been a serious outbreak of cholera in eastern Ethiopia, and it seems to be centered in the town of Haraar. Princess Anne of Great Britain, who is in the area as part of a Save the Children tour, stumbled upon a large camp occupied by people suffering from cholera, something, it seems, the Ethiopian authorities are keen to cover up. Correspondent Lucy Hanan says that when the princess arrived there, the place was actually sealed off by guards and the local press was not allowed in. She says she saw four tents full of people who were affected by what she was told later was cholera. The affected people were in bad condition and the place did not look at all good. She says that according to reliable sources, there are now up to 130 cases a day, and about 3,000 people have already been affected by cholera. She says that the reason that governments are reluctant to acknowledge cholera is that the disease is associated with poverty and poor sanitation. Sometimes it affects exports, mainly coffee, which people fear may be contaminated. [London BBC World Service in English 1705 GMT 27 Feb 94] Ghana River blindness -- The Ministry of Health and nongovernmental organizations have been called upon to help put in place a sustained program to control the growing number of cases of river blindness in the Wassa Amenfi area. Dr. Kwaku Kakari, district medical officer in charge of the Wassa Akropong health center, told newsmen at Wassa Akropong that the disease appeared to be prevalent around Samreboi. He said last |
FBIS3-22591_1 | Roundup of Disease Reports 21-28 February | says that when the princess arrived there, the place was actually sealed off by guards and the local press was not allowed in. She says she saw four tents full of people who were affected by what she was told later was cholera. The affected people were in bad condition and the place did not look at all good. She says that according to reliable sources, there are now up to 130 cases a day, and about 3,000 people have already been affected by cholera. She says that the reason that governments are reluctant to acknowledge cholera is that the disease is associated with poverty and poor sanitation. Sometimes it affects exports, mainly coffee, which people fear may be contaminated. [London BBC World Service in English 1705 GMT 27 Feb 94] Ghana River blindness -- The Ministry of Health and nongovernmental organizations have been called upon to help put in place a sustained program to control the growing number of cases of river blindness in the Wassa Amenfi area. Dr. Kwaku Kakari, district medical officer in charge of the Wassa Akropong health center, told newsmen at Wassa Akropong that the disease appeared to be prevalent around Samreboi. He said last year alone, 696 cases were reported at the Eti and Pii hospitals at Samreboi and 41 cases at the Catholic hospital at Asankrangwa. Dr. Kakari said efforts have been made by the epidemiology division of the Ministry of Health to educate the public about the disease and drugs have been supplied for free distribution at the epidemic zones. [Accra Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in English 0600 GMT 25 Feb 94] Nigeria Guinea worm infestation -- A report from Oyo State says the incidence of guinea worm infestation is assuming disturbing proportion in Ibarapa local government area of the state. Reporter Femi Bobade says the state administrator, Navy Captain Adetoye Sode, visited the area yesterday to assess the situation. He said that mostly affected are the people of Iruwa and Lanlate, the two major towns in the local government. Already, a large number of the people are receiving treatment at various health centers in the local government area. On arrival at Iruwa, headquarters of the local government area, Administrator Sode expressed concern over the lack of potable water in the area despite the fact that there were two reservoirs in the area. He directed the director, personnel management, of the local government |
FBIS3-22591_2 | Roundup of Disease Reports 21-28 February | year alone, 696 cases were reported at the Eti and Pii hospitals at Samreboi and 41 cases at the Catholic hospital at Asankrangwa. Dr. Kakari said efforts have been made by the epidemiology division of the Ministry of Health to educate the public about the disease and drugs have been supplied for free distribution at the epidemic zones. [Accra Ghana Broadcasting Corporation in English 0600 GMT 25 Feb 94] Nigeria Guinea worm infestation -- A report from Oyo State says the incidence of guinea worm infestation is assuming disturbing proportion in Ibarapa local government area of the state. Reporter Femi Bobade says the state administrator, Navy Captain Adetoye Sode, visited the area yesterday to assess the situation. He said that mostly affected are the people of Iruwa and Lanlate, the two major towns in the local government. Already, a large number of the people are receiving treatment at various health centers in the local government area. On arrival at Iruwa, headquarters of the local government area, Administrator Sode expressed concern over the lack of potable water in the area despite the fact that there were two reservoirs in the area. He directed the director, personnel management, of the local government to liaise with the water corporation in investigating the matter and finding a lasting solution to it. At Lanlate, the administrator was shown about 50 of the victims with the disease in various parts of their bodies. Addressing the people, the Oyo State commissioner for health, Mrs. Oluyoyede Fatunde, appealed to them to always boil or filter their water before drinking. [Lagos Radio Nigeria Network in English 0600 GMT 21 Feb 94] Cerebro-spinal meningitis -- Reports say the death toll in the outbreak of cerebro-spinal meningitis in Lansa North local government area of Plateau State has risen to 28. The death toll was confirmed by the head of an investigation team dispatched to the area, Dr. Wandem. [Lagos Radio Nigeria Network in English 0600 GMT 28 Feb 94] Somalia Cholera -- A statement issued by the office of the chairman of the High Council of the Internal Affairs Committee of the Somali National Alliance says a cholera outbreak has been officially confirmed in some districts of Somalia. Briefing reporters on the outbreak of the killer disease, the chairman of the High Council, Mr. Abdi Hasan Awale Qaydid, said, quoting the acting secretary general of the Somali Red Crescent, Dr. Ahmad |
FBIS3-22592_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 31 January - 6 February | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 31 January to 6 February concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. The source follows each item. Mozambique Malaria/Diarrhea/Cholera -- "Over 220 people died of malaria in Inhambane Province out of the 3,200 cases reported in 1993. Our correspondent says 9,700 diarrhea cases were also reported in the same period, claiming the lives of nine people. One person died out of the 200 cholera cases reported in 1993." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 3 Feb 94) Sanguinary Diarrhea -- Cases of sanguinary diarrhea which emerged in Angoche District, Nampula Province, in 1993 are still raising drastically. In January 1994 three people died and 64 cases were recorded in the rural hospital. (Maputo Radio Mozambique in Portuguese 1030 GMT 5 Feb) Swaziland AIDS -- Health Minister Dr. Derek von Wissell says "seventy percent of the children in the country are sexually active by the time they are 16 years, and almost 100 percent by the time they are 19 years." He said 90 percent of the population know about AIDS, and how it is transmitted, but less then 20 percent take the necessary precautions. New AIDS cases "will increase from 9,590 in 1994 to 21,000 by the year 2000," he said. (Mbabane Radio Swaziland Network in English 1700 GMT 4 Feb 94) Zimbabwe AIDS -- "Zimbabwe's National AIDS program says although more than 27,000 cases of the disease have been registered in Zimbabwe, the exact number of victims could be closer to 80,000." Eight-hundred- thousand Zimbabweans, most of them in the 20 to 49-year-age group "are thought to be infected by the HIV virus." Officials say the disease could orphan about 600,000 children by the turn of the century. An international AIDS conference held in Berlin last year "found that Zimbabwe had the third largest number of AIDS cases in southern Africa after Malawi and Tanzania." (Johannesburg Channel Africa Radio in English 1600 GMT 1 February 94) |
FBIS3-22593_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 28 February - 6 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 28 February to 6 March concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. The source follows each item. Angola Cholera -- Cholera is the disease which causes most victims in the Angolan capital, Luanda. Reliable sources say the situation has worsened due to poor living conditions and lack of vaccinations, which the government stopped supplying. The situation is dramatic in suburban areas. (Jamba Voz da Resistencia do Galo Negro in Portuguese 1200 GMT 28 Feb 94) Mozambique Bloody Diarrhea -- Bloody diarrhea and malaria epidemics are worrying Ressano Garcia administrative region health authorities in Maputo Province's Muamba District. A source from Spain's Doctors Without Borders working in the local hospital says bloody diarrhea began affecting the area in October 1993, an average of 30 cases were recorded weekly by December. The source said no one died of the disease. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 28 Feb 94) ZIMBABWE Dysentery -- Health Minister Timothy Stamps says that more than 400 Zimbabweans have died of dysentery since last November. He said that the disease had affected nearly 44,000 people out of the country's total population of 10 million. He said that the government was fighting the disease by purifying water supplies and by launching a public awareness program. (Johannesburg Channel Africa Radio in English 1100 GMT 1 Mar 94) |
FBIS3-22596_0 | Report Projects 1/4 Million HIV Positive by Year 2006 | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Report by Vusi Sibisi] [Text] The number of people with HIV has been projected at more than a quarter of a million by the year 2006 with annual AIDS-related deaths climbing to more than 27,000. According to a draft report on the socio-economic impact of HIV/AIDS in Swaziland by Alan Whiteside and Greg Wood of Capricorn Africa Economic Associates released yesterday, HIV has probably spread more rapidly in the Kingdom than anywhere else in Africa -- where data is available -- with the possible exception of Botswana. The study, commissioned by the Ministry of Economic Planning and Development, says the challenge facing the country is that of stopping the epidemic from spreading further, "and at least to reach the next generation as they grow to maturity and become sexually active". According to the three-phased projections -- low, medium and high AIDS projections -- over a 12-year period to the year 2005, the total number of people with HIV is expected to number between 174,629 and 268,379 by the year 2006. And whereas the death rate over the projected period would be 10,417 in an AIDS-free environment, it has been projected that AIDS-related deaths would soar the death rate to 27,495 by the year 2005 with HIV population numbering 249,418, according to the draft report's high AIDS projection. According to the draft report, more females, 138,235, than males, 121,017, would have HIV by the year 2005. This would result in new AIDS cases of 25,743 -- 15,890 females and 12,579 males, during the projected period. The projected total population by the year 2006 is expected to be 1,351,000 (658,000 males and 693,000 females) in an AIDS-free society. This declines to 1,086,605 (530,131 males and 556,474) for the low AIDS projection; 1,061,893 (518,154 males and 543,739 females) for the medium AIDS projection; and 1,034,080 (504,677 males and 529,404 females) for the high AIDS projection. The draft report points out that the difference increases with time due to the expected growth rate in the "no-AIDS scenario, and a decline in this rate with AIDS.' "The life expectancy for both males and females also decreases with the advent of AIDS." The draft report also warns that new AIDS cases, annual HIV births and annual AIDS deaths would continue to increase rapidly after 2006, noting that projections longer than approximately 12 years are more difficult to accurately predict. The cummulative AIDS |
FBIS3-22597_0 | Campaign Against Endemic Diseases in Shanxi | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Taiyuan, February 24 (XINHUA) -- The rampant spread of endemic diseases in north China's Shanxi Province has now been brought under control thanks to the joint efforts of the local government and people. The province is one of those blighted by a high incidence of endemic diseases such as Kaschin-Beck, Keshan, undulant fever, fluorine poisoning and iodine deficiency. A recent survey conducted by the provincial endemic disease prevention and cure group shows that out of 118 cities and counties of the province, 107 suffer from such diseases and that in some counties the incidence of endemic disease has picked up sharply over the past few years. It also shows that in Heshong and Qinyuan counties, the number of patients suffering from iodine deficiency, gas fluorine poisoning and Kaschin-Beck disease reached 120,000, accounting for 42 percent of the total population of these counties. Analysts here attribute local poverty and economic underdevelopment partly to the spread of endemic diseases. Over 30 percent of poor families had fallen on hard times due to chronic diseases, endemic diseases in particular. Analysts say that endemic diseases here mainly attack the bones, joints and hearts of children and women of child-bearing age. The survey indicates that among 2,853 primary and high school students in Heshong county who took physical examinations, the incidence of goiter was as high as 23.87 percent. And in one village, some 8.8 percent of school-age children were deprived of going to school and 9.4 percent of primary school students were unable to graduate due to mental retardation caused by Keshan disease. Figures show that of 7,172 children aged between seven and 14 in 24 counties heavily hit by undulant fever, the incidence rate of goiter due to iodine deficiency amounted to 32.94 percent. Despite efforts to improve drinking water quality and heating facilities in the province, about two million people still live in high gas and fluorine poisoning areas. The provincial government and party committee have paid ever closer attention to the prevention and control of endemic diseases and a range of forceful measures have been adopted since last year. The move aims to curb the further spread of the diseases and bring the incidence rate under control at a level stipulated by the state. Prevention and cure of endemic diseases has now been focused on strengthening the leadership and active participation of the whole society, according |
FBIS3-22598_0 | Endemic Diseases Under Control in Sichuan Province | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Chengdu, March 10 (XINHUA) -- Sichuan Province in southwest China has made marked progress in preventing and curing endemic diseases, using foreign loans, local officials said. According to officials at the provincial office for endemic disease prevention and cure, the local incidence rate of snail fever has dropped from 4.41 percent three years ago to the present 1.07 percent, and its incidence rate among cattle has plummeted from 10.6 percent to 3.5 percent. The officials said the work was boosted with the aid of world bank loans, which the province began to use last year to bring snail fever under control. During the past year, the province has been organizing specialists to spread knowledge in 41 counties on health care education, disease statistics, and supervision and treatment of endemic diseases. The province is also promoting a comprehensive plan which involves boosting local economy and optimizing agricultural production. On the other hand, scientific researchers have found more effective ways to check the spread of endemic diseases. In addition, the officials revealed, people in 63 percent of the counties infested with endemic diseases are eating iodine-bearing salt. The incidence rate of malaria has dropped by 54 percent compared with the previous year, and the spread of other diseases such as endemic fluorosis, keshan disease and osteoarthrosis deformans endemica has been checked, local officials said. |
FBIS3-22602_0 | Tokyo, U.S. To Provide 12 Billion Dollars To Fight AIDS | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Tokyo, Feb. 3 KYODO -- Japan and the United States on Thursday [3 February] agreed to provide a total of 12 billion dollars from now until the year 2000 for projects aimed at curbing the spread of AIDS and bringing the global population growth under control, Japanese officials said. The agreement emerged from the bilateral "framework" trade negotiations under way in Tokyo, and will be officially announced after the meeting between Prime Minister Morihiro Hosokawa and U.S. President Bill Clinton slated for February 11 in Washington. Under the scheme, Japan will give 3 billion dollars and the U.S. 9 billion dollars over the seven years. The sums compare with 70 million dollars in annual financial aid extended by Japan for such purposes and 600 million dollars by the United States. The sharply boosted aid will be used to try to find an AIDS cure, supply developing nations with condoms, and enlighten people there about the disease. The money will also finance projects designed to spread knowledge of family planning and help poor countries compile more reliable population statistics. According to data by the World Health Organization (WHO), the world's HIV carriers number 14 million at present and are projected to rise to 30-40 million by the year 2000. |
FBIS3-22609_0 | `Over 150' Additional Cases of HIV Infection Confirmed | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Over 150 more Vietnamese have been confirmed infected with HIV virus, which can cause AIDS. It raises the number of reported cases to 1,167. The new HIV cases include the first ever in Lang Son Province, a booming trade center on the border with China. Vietnam discovered its first HIV case in December 1990 and its first case of AIDS last year. |
FBIS3-22612_0 | Regions Report 1,715 Cases of Infectious Diseases in January | Language: Serbo-Croatian Article Type:BFN [Text] According to information received from the regions of Kalesija, Celic, Teocak, Mostar, and Sarajevo, 10 people have been killed and 52 wounded in the last 24 hours. The situation concerning food, medicine, medical kits, and winter clothing and shoes is the worst in Tesanj, Maglaj, Kladanj, Zavidovici, Olovo, Konjic, Mostar, and Gorazde. The hygiene and epidemiological situation in the republic was unfavorable in January -- there were 1,715 cases of infectious diseases. The infectious diseases that have been spread the most are enterocolitis, infectious hepatitis, and prurigo. |
FBIS3-22618_0 | Article Views Death Rates, Risk Categories For Cancer | Language: Romanian Article Type:BFN [Rodica Dirzu report: "Females Are More Affected by Cancer Than Males"] [Text] Despite the fact that, in our country, cancer does not belong among the first-ranking illnesses that cause death, it is still a great health problem owing especially to its social implications. The cancer death rate is higher in the urban areas than in rural areas. In the category of people aged 33-60, the so-called category of active [working] persons, 29 percent of the deaths among females are caused by cancer, whereas the same figure among men is merely 22 percent. Among females, the most frequent cases of cancer are breast cancer, followed by uterine and stomach cancer. Among males, the list is topped by lung and bronchial cancer, followed by stomach and prostate cancer. The category of active persons is most affected by cancer (50 percent of the cases belong to that category), followed by the group of persons aged 60- 65 (45 percent), whereas the least affected is the group aged 0-33 (5 percent.) The number of cancer cases among children has increased lately: In 1993, 1,071 such cases had to be treated, compared to 800 in 1992. |
FBIS3-22619_0 | Experts Link Cancer `Explosion' to Radioactivity | Language: Romanian Article Type:BFN [V. Bunget-signed report: "The Number of Cancer Cases Explodes -- 500 New Cases Each Year"] [Text] While until recently in Mehedinti County they registered a number of 400 new cancer cases each year, last year the number of those found to be suffering from that illness increased to 500. Among the most frequent forms of cancer are those of the thyroid gland, lungs, and leukemia. According to experts, such an alarming "explosion" of the number of new cancer cases is the consequence of radioactive emissions from Chernobyl. The peak is expected in 1996. However, in the opinion of the experts, the large number of people in Mehedinti County condemned to death by this merciless illness may also be directly linked to the nuclear accident at Kozloduy (Bulgaria) [on the Danube, close to Mehedinti County] and with the risk factors currently existing in Mehedinti County itself, of which the principal ones are the rubber plant, the cellulose and paper mill, and, especially, the heavy water plant. To all this one can also add the typical illness of workers at the uranium extraction plant, endemic nephropathy or E-type uremia. On top of all this, owing to the disastrous financial policy of the current rulers, the number of hospital beds is insufficient and the necessary hospital equipment is also inadequate. Not to mention the current exorbitant cost of chemotherapy! |
FBIS3-22625_3 | Regional Health Report for 4 February | protest to get adequate attention. (Guatemala City EL GRAFICO in Spanish 3 Feb 94 p 24) Mexico Respiratory/intestinal infections -- The Mexican Health Secretariat said 80 percent of all illnesses suffered by Mexican Indians are due to respiratory and intestinal infections. Respiratory infections account for 59.8 percent of fatalities. (Madrid EFE in Spanish 2004 GMT 24 Jan 94) Nicaragua Malaria -- Malaria is adversely affecting the urban population of Nandaime, Health Ministry officials have reported. There were 592 cases of malaria reported in 1993. So far a total of 87 cases have been reported in 1994. According to officials, nearby rice paddies contribute to the reproduction of the anopheles mosquito, which spreads the disease. (Managua EL NUEVO DIARIO in Spanish 30 Jan 94 p 7) Cholera -- At least five people died and 293 others became infected with cholera in Nicaragua in January, the Nicaraguan Health Ministry has reported. Most of the victims lived in Chinandega, Granada, Managua, and Matagalpa Departments. According to official reports, 220 people died of cholera and 6,631 became infected with the bacteria in 1993. (Panama City ACAN in Spanish 2225 GMT 2 Feb 94) Cholera -- Health brigades in Boaco have reported that persons in five communities have caught cholera. A total 15 people have died and 25 were admitted to the hospital in Bocana de Paiwas. (Managua Radio Corporacion in Spanish 1230 GMT 3 Feb 94) Panama AIDS -- According to a Health Ministry report, 357 persons have died from AIDS over the past 10 years. The report said that 614 cases have been registered, 94 women and 520 men. Of the 357 deaths, 291 were males and 66 females. (Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in Spanish 3 Feb 94 p c-7) Peru Dengue -- Health authorities have reported that at least two persons have died and 300 have been infected with dengue during the past week in Tumbes Department, bordering Ecuador. (Paris AFP in Spanish 1858 GMT 28 Jan 94) Venezuela Measles -- An official commission headed by Health Minister Pablo Pulido traveled to Amazonas State on 28 January to direct a vaccination campaign against measles in view of an outbreak affecting Indian communities. A total of 60,000 people will be vaccinated. According to Health Ministry officials, 20,244 cases of measles were registered in Venezuela, of which 48 were fatal. (Caracas EL DIARIO DE CARACAS in Spanish 29 Jan 94 p 6) |
FBIS3-22626_0 | Regional Health Report 4 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on regional health and epidemiology developments monitored in Panama Bureau's coverage area through 4 March. Source is cited in parentheses following each item. Panama Malaria -- Manuel Vasquez, director of the National Services for the Eradication of Malaria, stated that so far this year there have been approximately 128 cases of malaria in Bocas del Toro Province, specifically in the towns of Tabode and Santa Maria. (Panama City EL SIGLO in Spanish 1 Mar 94 p 49) Venezuela AIDS -- Vicente Perez Davila, health and social welfare minister, announced that an AIDS prevention program will be implemented over the next three years with the help of the Pan-American Health Organization. According to figures by the WHO, there are 6,056 cases of AIDS in Venezuela. (Caracas EL DIARIO DE CARACAS in Spanish 4 Mar 94) |
FBIS3-22627_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 3 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 3 March. Argentina Cholera -- The Health and Social Action Ministry reported on 2 March that eight new cholera cases had been registered in Buenos Aires, Salta, Jujuy, and Santiago del Estero Provinces. The total number of cases has risen to 721 nationwide so far this year. (Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in Spanish 2253 GMT 2 Mar 94) Bolivia Cholera -- Dr. Bernardino Fuertes, director of the Regional Health Secretariat Epidemiology Department, has reported that 24 cholera cases have been confirmed in Potosi Department. Meanwhile, the Cochabamba Regional Health Secretariat has reported that 40 cholera cases have been registered in Cochabamba Department in the last two months. (La Paz Radio Fides Network in Spanish 1100 GMT 2 Mar 94) Brazil Cholera -- The Rio de Janeiro State Government has reported that 42 cholera cases and three fatalities have already been registered so far this year in this state. This number is 8.5 times higher than during the first two months of 1993. (Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 24 Feb 94 Section 3 p 4) Chile Hepatitis -- Twenty-three cases of hepatitis have been reported in the village of Domeico in the Third Region due to the contamination of underground water. (Santiago Television Nacional de Chile Imagen Internacional in Spanish 1700 GMT 2 Mar 94) Peru Bubonic plague -- An outbreak of bubonic plague in Catache District, Santa Cruz Province, Cajamarca Department, has killed four people over the past few hours, while 25 others are in serious condition. (Lima EXPRESO in Spanish 13 Feb 94 p A12) |
FBIS3-22639_1 | Leprologists Hold Conference in Madras | over the country and a few from abroad participated in the conference. Several scientific papers and findings of various projects on diverse aspects of the disease were presented of which some findings were very significant and encouraging, Dr. Simon, Organising secretary of the conference said. According to one study conducted by Dr. C. Appanraj, district leprosy officer, Tuticorin, even infants were found to have been infected by leprosy, defying popular belief that the incubation period of the causative bacterium was very long and intra-uterine infection was not possible. The infection was found even in a two and a half month old baby. This study warrants that all children with suspicious lesions should be evaluated, irrespective of their age. Another study on the effect of Multi Drug Therapy (MDT) on Women, by Dr. K. Bhaskar Subuddhi of the Gandhi Memorial Leprosy Foundation, Wardha, Maharashtra, revealed that the eradication of leprosy would be earlier among women than men. The study showed that the incidence rate, prevalence rate, relapse rate and child incidence rate were always less among females. A paper presented by a group of doctors of B.S. Medical College, Bankura, West Bengal, showed that 5 percent of the 2,000 patients selected for study were found to be blind either in one eye or both the eyes. The study reiterated the fact that although the regimen of MDT had reduced ocular leprosy, many instances of blindness were still found among leprosy patients. About 40 percent of them were blind in both the eyes and 68 percent of them curable. A paper on the new, four week regimen of treatment by Dr. Amar Kant Jha Amar of the Patna Medical College Hospital indicated that the method was very effective, well tolerated and needed wider trials. Various papers covering the entire gamut of leprosy were also presented and evaluated at the conference. Fresh Cases Dr. M.D. Gupte of the ICMR, president of the Indian Leprologists Association told THE HINDU that still substantial number of fresh cases of leprosy were being reported. The findings of the experiment of vaccines, MW and ICRC, currently being conducted in Tamil Nadu, will be available by 1998 and if the results were positive it would go a long way in the eradication of the disease. It is the first study of its kind in the world. The incidence of single lesion leprosy was widespread, but 60-70 percent of it |
FBIS3-22640_1 | Over 30,000 Cancer Deaths Annually | 35,000 people die annually from this disease, a medical expert warned today. Dr. S.P. Kohli, Deputy Director General, Ministry of Health told the first international conference of the Indian Association of Alliative Care here that cancer is no longer a problem of developed countries but a matter of concern for developing countries also. She said the problem had acquired greater magnitude due to an increase in life expectancy resulting in a greater ratio of old people in the population, increase in population, improved life style as well as modernisation. In India, breast, cervix and uterus cancer was most common in women while men were more prone to mouth, larynx and lung cancer. These types of cancer were tobacco-related and could be prevented by proper education, creating awareness and stopping tobacco intake. Lung cancer was nearly nine times more common in smokers than in non-smokers, Dr. Kohli said. Considering this, the Union Government had chalked out a plan of action for prevention of cancer at an early stage, prevention of tobacco intake in any form, early diagnosis of cancer specially in cervic, breast and mouth. She said that it was most unfortunate that most of the cancer patients in India reported at a very advanced stage in hospitals and regional cancer centres, rendering the therapy ineffective. She suggested that since there were more advanced cancer cases in India, Palliative therapy should be provided to such patients effectively. In India, 30 percent of the cancer cases could not be treated with active therapy and "we could provide only palliative therapy in such cases," Dr. Kohli said. Cancer pain is not an imitable part of cancer, contrary to common belief. Little is done to alleviate pain simply due to inadequacy of medical education in cancer pain therapy, she said. Medical students were taught to treat cancer but not cancer pain. She suggested introduction of pain relief and palliative care education at undergraduate and post-graduate teaching level. The Union Government had started producing oral morphine in collaboration with the World Health Organisation directly to 10 identified regional cancer centres. There was a proposal to provide oral morphine to other teaching government medical institutions, too. She said that morphine was the cheapest and most effective pain killer in cancer. Pain could be minimised in 80 to 98 percent of cancer cases if right drug in right dose and at right time was given, she said. |
FBIS3-22641_0 | `New Explanation' for Disease Plaguing U.S. Troops Cited | Language: Arabic Article Type:BFN [Text] A new explanation for the Iraqi curse, a disease plaguing thousands of U.S. and British troops who served during the anti-Iraq aggression, has surfaced. The U.S. television network CNN today said that an official of the British Lyon Corporation, which specializes in the production of sweets and chocolates, has revealed that U.S. counterparts used banned chemical products in the production of sweets that were specially prepared for the U.S. troops taking part in the Gulf war. CNN quoted Edward Harrison as saying that if it were not for the chemical products used in the production of sweets, the sweets corporations would not have been able to cope with the problem presented by chocolate melting under the extremely high temperature in Saudi Arabia, where the U.S. troops were deployed. It is to be recalled that U.S. troops complained that the sweets they received at the time were not in good shape. This prompted the U.S. military command to ask U.S. sweets corporations to find a rapid solution to this problem. An official source in Baghdad commented on this news report, saying that the U.S. Department of Defense is making various attempts and promoting various lies to obliterate the facts pertaining to the mysterious disease that has plagued U.S. and British troops. Independent U.S. scientific quarters, he added, have said that the cause of this disease is the handling of shells coated with depleted uranium, which produces radioactive reactions inside vehicles, aircraft, and tanks, thus affecting the health of troops, not to mention the impact the on environment. |
FBIS3-22642_0 | Deteriorating Food, Health Situation Reported | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Excerpt] Baghdad, Feb 7 (INA) -- A recent report by a Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) mission has confirmed earlier conclusions by another FAO/WFP survey that warns of a rapid deterioration in food supply situation throughout Iraq. The present mission report, issued in December last year, notes with deep concerns the prevalence of several commonly recognized pre-famine indicators. These conclusions, based on observations and interviews in several areas of the country, confirm the presence of such indicators as very high food prices, collapse of private incomes, depletion of personal assets as well as rapidly increasing numbers of the destitutes. Following is the fourth part of the FAO mission report: The shortage in water supply has led to severe problems in hygiene. According to health authorities outbreaks of lice, typhoid, and cholera continue to be serious public health problems in al-Basrah and throughout the country (department in al-Basrah, personal communication). Moreover, sanitation has become a common problem in schools that now have 2-3 shifts a day leading to facilitated transmission of water-borne diseases amongst the primary age school children. Care International reported that in 1954 [year as received] it plans to rehabilitate school lavatories. Although the extensive vaccination supply system and the cold chain broke down completely immediately after the war, immunization rates are back well above 80 percent, better than pre-war levels in certain areas (UNICEF 1993, personal communication). The Ministry of Health has received substantial assistance from UNICEF/WHO in maintaining the cold chain and in the provision of vaccines for immunization. The mission noted adequate stocks of vaccines in Maysan and Irbil Governorates. In addition, many mothers when asked, knew about the BCG vaccination. Although little is known about the incidence of acute respiratory factions (ARI), drugs to treat infections in children remain inadequate. The mission noted that several cases of ARI in the pediatric wards of Saddam City Hospital in Baghdad. These cases were receiving antibiotic treatment but physicians complained of shortages, especially during the later winter months when ARI is a more frequent occurrence. WHO does provide drugs and other medical supplies, but the total amount is insufficient to meet the needs of the population. In July to March 1993, 780,000 U.S. dollars worth of drugs were provided under the U.N. Humanitarian Assistance Programme. However, drugs to treat chronic diseases, anesthesia to perform basic surgical procedures, nitrous oxide for birthing facilities as well |
FBIS3-22642_1 | Deteriorating Food, Health Situation Reported | led to severe problems in hygiene. According to health authorities outbreaks of lice, typhoid, and cholera continue to be serious public health problems in al-Basrah and throughout the country (department in al-Basrah, personal communication). Moreover, sanitation has become a common problem in schools that now have 2-3 shifts a day leading to facilitated transmission of water-borne diseases amongst the primary age school children. Care International reported that in 1954 [year as received] it plans to rehabilitate school lavatories. Although the extensive vaccination supply system and the cold chain broke down completely immediately after the war, immunization rates are back well above 80 percent, better than pre-war levels in certain areas (UNICEF 1993, personal communication). The Ministry of Health has received substantial assistance from UNICEF/WHO in maintaining the cold chain and in the provision of vaccines for immunization. The mission noted adequate stocks of vaccines in Maysan and Irbil Governorates. In addition, many mothers when asked, knew about the BCG vaccination. Although little is known about the incidence of acute respiratory factions (ARI), drugs to treat infections in children remain inadequate. The mission noted that several cases of ARI in the pediatric wards of Saddam City Hospital in Baghdad. These cases were receiving antibiotic treatment but physicians complained of shortages, especially during the later winter months when ARI is a more frequent occurrence. WHO does provide drugs and other medical supplies, but the total amount is insufficient to meet the needs of the population. In July to March 1993, 780,000 U.S. dollars worth of drugs were provided under the U.N. Humanitarian Assistance Programme. However, drugs to treat chronic diseases, anesthesia to perform basic surgical procedures, nitrous oxide for birthing facilities as well as antibiotics to control infection after surgery are virtually unavailable as reported by several hospitals and the minister of health. This was offered as the explanation of why hospitals are now functioning at 40-50 percent of their original capacity in spite of the reported increase in infectious disease and severe malnutrition. Only severely ill cases are now being treated. Even when drugs are available, their price on the free market may be 200 times greater than the government rationed price, thus making them virtually unobtainable for the poor. In summary, food insecurity at the household level, inadequate water and sanitary system, and the shortage of drugs to treat infections are likely to result in more serious malnutrition. [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-22644_2 | Maritime Kray Doctor on Detection, Treatment of AIDS | this disease does not run a course like most other diseases and if there is any reason to suspect they may have contracted it, they must have themselves checked. Isakov: Is there criminal liability if an HIV-infected person knowingly has sex with another person? Zavatskaya: They sign an undertaking not to spread the disease, as with any other venereal disease. Isakov: Yelena Vasilyevna, do you have modern equipment that can diagnose HIV infection? Zavatskaya: We have a laboratory which can diagnose the presence of antibodies in the blood. There is no need to be afraid because there are HIV-infected people at the center; in fact, I would like to say that, in general, HIV-infected people are no cause for general concern. For instance, on 1 December I felt bad when I read in the NASH VLADIVOSTOK newspaper that here in Maritime Kray, [journalist] Marina Sokolova calls them AIDS carriers when the rest of the world refers to them as HIV-infected. The whole world is battling to protect these people. In principle, it is possible for anyone to become infected through sexual contact, yet here we call them AIDS carriers. There is no protection for them. Young people are committing suicide because it is impossible to live with the stigma of this in our society. That is what I wanted to stress: There must be protection and there must not be such aggression. As things stand, if there is an information leak, the carriers do not have a chance to live and work. Isakov: Can you tell us if is any medicine which can bolster the immune system? Zavatskaya: There is the world-renowned azidothymidine [AZT]. The Russian name for this preparation is (kimozit) and if patients need it, they will receive it free of charge. Isakov: And finally, what is your wish for our listeners? Zavatskaya: I have a big favor to ask. If you suffer any change in bodily function, or if something is worrying you, please come in. The round-the-clock crisis telephone number is 236311, or you can visit our examination, treatment, and consulting rooms at 50 Botisenko [Street] between 0800 and 1800 hours daily and give a blood sample. You do not need to use your name. We will test it for HIV and Wassermann reaction, and you need not even come back for your results -- we can advise you by telephone if you wish. [end recording] |
FBIS3-22651_5 | Polyclinic Visits Decline, Emergency Calls Increase | it. And we cannot leave them in the hospital longer. What we have is a conveyer. The ambulance keeps on bringing them. The next one needs the cot. And it breaks your heart to sign a patient out. Just how will he get by this way at home? Not long ago they brought in an old man directly from the polyclinic. He was suffering from acute hypertension. He lay in the ward, and we treated and fed him. And once he asked a nurse to telephone his daughter. Our Verochka became interested and asked, "And do you live with your daughter?" "Together, together," he said, "and I hand over my pension. She is all alone. Her husband left, and she has two children. Is she really in the mood for me? We called the apartment and only had time to say "This is the hospital calling" before they hung up at the other end of the line. And this happened several times. The old man had to be signed out. He was recovering. No one came for him. What was there to do? They took a car and drove him home. It was locked. The neighbors said, "The little children are in kindergarten 5 days each week, and the mother herself gets home late." They drove him home the next evening, and again it was locked. It ate the old man's heart out. His face went blank, and he whispered under his breath, "You see, nobody needs me..." And what were we to do? The daughter had to be found through the police. You start to think, and your heart breaks. Whom do you feel sorry for? I understand how it is for the young woman. She worked somewhere as a recordkeeper at a factory. She earned 20,000 and assistance for her children. One time the old man told us that nearly every morning she took work as a deliveryperson. Later, she moonlighted as a helper in a store to have a kopeck for herself. After all, children must be clothed, provided with shoes, and fed. She would return home exhausted and would again wash, cook, and scrub the floors. And she is still young and wants some kind of life...But to abandon her father? Once I recall his worried eyes, I lose all sympathy for the young woman...In the hospital I grew attached to our sweet old man and |
FBIS3-22651_9 | Polyclinic Visits Decline, Emergency Calls Increase | request....Upon my word, this past year it has ceased to amaze us. Yes, funerals today are incredibly expensive, and the grants that the government gives do not even cover one-third of the cost. But to not send your father, wife, or son on their final journey? To not bend over them, not throw a handful of earth into a fresh grave. How can one live afterward? God, what is happening to us? We gather in the hospital's staff room in a rare free moment and think. Of course, people's lives are hard. In some families they live from pay to pay, and they don't have enough bread. But really, was it easy during the war? During the evacuation a mother was ready to give her last skirt for milk for her little children. And she woke up and went to bed with deathly fear for her husband, who was fighting somewhere near the Dnepr. But there was never such bitterness. They helped one another how they could. They took care of the little children, and they took pity on the old people. The common misfortune united them. In the name of one common great purpose -- victory -- they were ready to endure. But today? There are rich as well as poor. One child brings a Snickers and kiwi to school, while another mother can only put a piece of bread into the child's bag....No, I am not for poverty-ridden socialist equality. Let the rich be. They create jobs and sustain the public coffers with their taxes. Only poverty must not be below what we now call the "subsistence minimum." And how much lower can it go if it is already the "minimum"? And nearly every fourth family among us lives that way. Is this not the reason for the bitterness? Many of those who before believed in the coming communism have now been drawn to the church. But even religion will not bring calm to society. The discussions of the politicians -- the democrats, the reds, the browns, the market proponents, the market opponents -- are loud. In another family, instead of putting the children to bed on time, they argue about Gaydar and Yeltsin until they are hoarse. Excess politization, like a disease, poisons the consciousness. Simple human values -- compassion, common experience, concern for the elderly and children, loyalty to one's wife or husband -- have lost |
FBIS3-22653_0 | Lvov Scientist Develops Cure for Cancer, AIDS | Language: Ukrainian Article Type:BFN [Anatoliy Rudenko report: "`Ukrayinian'" -- Against the Most Terrible Diseases"] [Text] Yaroslav Novytskyy, a Lvov scientist, has created a preparation based upon celandine [Latin: Chelidonium majus] -- a biennial herb of the poppy family -- for the treatment of cancer and AIDS. The scientist first used it to treat his brother, who had cancer, and cured him. Unable to implement his plans in his own fatherland, Ya. Novytskyy had to emigrate to Austria, where he continued his research. It proved a success: On the basis of celandine, an even more effective medicinal preparation, Ukrayinian, was obtained. The scientist's invention has been patented in many countries of the world. Major pharmaceutical firms and companies are offering the inventor a lot of money for the patent to produce this preparation, but he is in no hurry. Last year, Ukrayinian was successfully tested at the Kiev Medical Institute. |
FBIS3-22658_1 | Max Planck Society Opens Institute for Infectious Diseases | and medical practice. A third of all fatalities in the world can be traced to diseases caused by microbial pathogens. One and a half billion people -- primarily in the third world, suffer from the 19 infectious diseases (excluding AIDS), for which American doctors consider new vaccines must be developed as a matter of priority. The methods used in molecular and cytobiology, immunology, epidemiology, and structural chemistry now make it possible to arrive at a better understanding of the biology of the infection process and, consequently, at new approaches to the prevention and treatment of infectious diseases. Research into the biology of infection has thus increased considerably worldwide, although, apart from exceptions such as virus-dependent infectious diseases, it has not yet attained an internationally competitive level in Germany. With the founding of a Max Planck Institute of the Biology of Infection to carry out multidisciplinary research the MPG [Max Planck Society] has taken a decisive step toward establishing this field in the Federal Republic of Germany. By the time the institute is complete, it will comprise four departments: -- Immunology (headed by Professor Stefan E.A. Kaufmann), which will primarily study the interactions between immune systems and microbial pathogens, with particular reference to defensive and pathogenic mechanisms; -- Molecular Genetics, which will work on the molecular basis of the pathogenesis of infectious diseases and identify and analyze the factors responsible for virulence; -- Cytobiology, which will focus primarily on the invasion of host cells by microbes and on topics relating to intracellular proliferation and cell-to-cell spreading. Methods provided by cytobiology, electron microscopy, and biochemistry will be used to study communication between pathogen and host cell; -- Epidemiology, which will set out to identify virulence and resistance characteristics relevant to the spread of infectious diseases and to study microecosystems involved in infectious diseases. The plan from the outset is to include clinical research as an integral part of the institute's overall approach and to recruit clinicians specializing in infectious diseases to work with research teams. Programs of research into infectious diseases in developing countries will also be drawn up and undertaken either in collaboration with the research laboratories already established in the countries concerned or by setting up field stations there. It is also planned to extend the institute's scientific range by establishing independent teams of young scientists to work on topics that complement the research undertaken in the institute's own departments. |
FBIS3-22673_0 | Details on Brucellosis Cases in Fyrom | Language: Macedonian Article Type:CSO [Article by R.N.: "Brucellosis Is Subsiding, but So Is Concern"] [Text] During 1993, the number of patients suffering from brucellosis decreased markedly in comparison to the figure for 1992. According to data from the republic's Institute for Preventative Medicine, last year there were 561 cases, as opposed to 922 in 1992. The Director of the Institute for Epidemiology and Microbiology, Dr. Dusko Panev, cautioned that brucellosis remains a serious problem in the republic. In view of the unquestionable effect of the struggle against the spread of this animal disease among humans, there will not only be a continuing campaign against it in the forthcoming period, but also a determined "plugging" of some "cracks" in the defensive lines. First and foremost, explained Dr. Panev, the number of opstinas [townships] and inhabited places where the disease has been registered does not show such a great decline. More precisely, if in 1992 brucellosis was in evidence in 177 inhabited places within 22 opstinas, last year the disease "climbed" in 150 inhabited places within 19 opstinas, in other words, it remained present on the territory throughout the republic. In the previous period, the "hottest" places were the districts of Strumica (133 as opposed to 154 cases in 1992), Radovis (103), Valandovo (45), Skopje (59), Kumanovo, Veles...[as published] In contrast to the still problematic private sector, the social sector is much more effective in the struggle against this animal disease. Epidemiological studies have demonstrated that the reasons for the spread are most often connected with contact of the individual producers and through the consumption of impure milk and cheese from goats and sheep. According to Dr. Panev, "Despite all the effort, it is still possible to find milk producers at the market who do not have adequate safety certification. And it is exactly from such food items that people have become ill with brucellosis in the past few years. Earlier, this disease was a job-related illness of herdsmen and veterinarians. But now, the victims are those who have not observed commonly accepted preventive measures, (pasturizing milk and cheese) both among families raising livestock and those supplied by them." The struggle against brucellosis is a complex, longterm process that may take several decades. Since 1980, when the disease appeared here in epidemic form, the main forces in the eradication campaign have been veterinarians and health workers. Dr. Panev explained that, last year |
FBIS3-22674_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 10 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 10 March. Brazil Rabies/leishmaniosis/cholera -- The Aracatuba prefecture will have to kill 19,000 dogs in the next four years to stop the expansion of rabies in this city in the interior of Sao Paulo State. Leme, Andradina, and Aracatuba have already registered 107 rabies cases. The State Health Secretariat reported that 687 cases of leishmaniosis were registered in Sao Paulo in 1993. Meanwhile, the cholera epidemic continues in Ceara State, especially in Fortaleza, which has registered 85 percent of the cases detected in the state, which accounts for 11,983 of the 15,364 cases registered nationwide in 1994. Paraiba State with 1,066 cases and 10 fatalities, has the second-highest rate of cholera. (Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 3 Mar 94 Section 3 p 1) Malaria -- Para Federal University's Tropical Medicine Institute has discovered that the use of either mefloquina or artesunato has been 100 percent effective in the treatment of 50 gold prospectors infected with malaria in Itaituba, 1,900 km west of Belem, capital of Para State. Itaituba is one of the municipalities with the highest malaria rates in the Amazon, which accounts for 99 percent of the 600,000 cases registered in the country per year. (Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 5 March 94 Section 1 p 12) Leptospirosis -- The Sao Paulo State Health Secretariat on 6 March confirmed that 14 people have died from leptospirosis in Sao Paulo State, 11 in greater Sao Paulo. A total of 142 cases have been registered so far in the state. (Sao Paulo FOLHA DE SAO PAULO in Portuguese 7 March 94 Section 3 p 3) Cholera -- The Noel Nutels laboratory on 3 March confirmed that two new cholera cases have been registered in the Pinto Roquete and Vidigal shantytowns in Rio de Janeiro. The total number of cholera cases have risen to 16 in the city so far this year. (Rio de Janeiro O GLOBO in Portuguese 4 Mar 94 p 9) Chile Meningitis -- The Coquimbo Health Service reported that a four-year-old girl died of meningitis on 22 February in the township of Ovalle, in the Fourth Region, the first fatality in the region this year. (Santiago Radio Cooperativa Network in Spanish 2200 GMT 3 Mar 94) Uruguay Chagas -- Roberto Salvatella, director of the Health |
FBIS3-22675_0 | Southern Cone Health Report Through 17 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on epidemics and diseases monitored through 17 March. Argentina Cholera -- The Health and Social Action Ministry on 17 March reported that six new cholera cases were registered in Buenos Aires, Jujuy, and Santiago del Estero Provinces. The number of people infected with the disease nationwide has risen to 815 this year. (Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in Spanish 2205 GMT 17 Mar 94) Cholera -- One more cholera case was reported in Salta Province. The number of cholera cases in the province already totals 516. (Buenos Aires Radio Nacional Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 16 Mar 94) Meningitis -- Health officials reported that a 37-year-old man died of meningitis in Belem, Catamarca Province. This is the first fatal meningitis case in the province. (Buenos Aires Radio Nacional Network in Spanish 1600 GMT 16 Mar 94) Bolivia Cholera -- A total of 1,498 cholera cases and 18 fatalities were registered nationwide in the year's first two months. The breakdown of cases is as follows: 515 cases in Tarija, 458 cases in Chuquisaca, 293 cases in Santa Cruz, 121 cases in Tupiza, 44 cases in Cochabamba, 27 cases in La Paz, 25 cases in El Alto, and 15 cases in Potosi. (La Paz PRESENCIA in Spanish 1 Mar 94 Second Section p 3) Chagas -- At least 50 percent of Cochabamba Department's residents are infected with Chagas disease, but the percentage is higher in the high-risk zones. It was found that 40 percent of the houses are infected with the insects that transmit the disease. (La Paz PRESENCIA in Spanish 2 Mar 94 p 3) Brazil AIDS -- The Health Ministry reported on 14 March that of the 48,166 AIDS cases registered in Brazil between 1980 and January 1994, 19,252 were fatal. Of the reported cases, 40,849 are men. (Buenos Aires NOTICIAS ARGENTINAS in Spanish 0113 GMT 15 Mar 94) AIDS -- The government on 16 March signed a $250 million agreement with the World Bank to finance the AIDS prevention program. The World Bank will provide $160 million and Brazil $90 million. (Brasilia Voz do Brazil Network in Portuguese 2200 GMT 16 Mar 94) Chile Meningitis -- The Conquimbo Region Health Post registered two new cases of type-B meningitis meningococcus. A total of 29 cases were detected in January and 20 in February nationwide. (Santiago EL MERCURIO in Spanish 23 |
FBIS3-22677_0 | Roundup of Regional Epidemiological Developments Through 11 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on regional public health and epidemiological developments monitored through 11 Mar 1994. Colombia AIDS -- Health Minister Juan Londono today reported a marked increase in the number of Colombians infected with the AIDS virus. At the current rate, 400,000 Colombians will have been infected by the end of the century. (Hamburg DPA in Spanish 1408 GMT 6 Mar 94) Costa Rica Diarrhea -- According to health authorities, 1,281 children suffering from diarrhea are receiving care at the National Children's Hospital. (San Jose LA REPUBLICA in Spanish 26 Feb 94 p 5a) Ecuador Diphtheria -- Diphtheria, believed for several years to have been eradicated, has suddenly reappeared in Ecuador. In the past two weeks, 14 people have been infected, two of whom died. (Hamburg DPA in Spanish 2358 GMT 7 Mar 94) El Salvador Shigellosis -- The Red Cross has reported an outbreak of shigellosis that has affected 75 people in Salalagua, La Union Department. The bacteria causes bloody diarrhea, abdominal pain, and fever. It can only be controlled with antibiotics. (Mexico City NOTIMEX in Spanish 0904 GMT 10 Mar 94) Panama AIDS -- A health department source has said that three new AIDS cases were reported in Chorrera in the first 50 days of 1994. (Panama City EL SIGLO in Spanish 9 Mar 94 p 59) |
FBIS3-22678_0 | Roundup of Regional Epidemiological Developments Through 25 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of reports on regional public health and epidemiological developments monitored through 25 March. Colombia Whooping Cough -- Bogota health officials have reported 17 children have died due to whooping cough in Bajo Naya, on the border between Valle and Cauca. The Health Commission has gone into the Indian communities to confirm an alleged condition but found the cause to be an epidemic of whooping cough. (Santa Fe de Bogota EL NUEVO SIGLO in Spanish 6 March 94 pp 1, 8) Costa Rica AIDS -- According to the latest statistics released by the Health Ministry, there have been 23 new cases of AIDS this year -- 11 by homosexuals and seven by heterosexuals, all of whom contracted the disease through sexual contact. The cause is unknown in one of the cases. The incidence of women is very low, according to the official report, as only one woman is registered for every 11 men. So far there have been 586 cases reported nationwide, half of which are in San Jose. (San Jose LA REPUBLICA in Spanish 19 March 94 p 9A) Ecuador AIDS -- Health Minister Dr. Patricio Abad has reported there has been an evident increase in the number of AIDS cases in Ecuador, which now total 714. The incidence increased to .62 per every 100,000 inhabitants during 1993. [figures as received] The most cases have been registered in the coastal area. (Quito Voz de los Andes in Spanish 2300 GMT 14 March 94) Diphtheria -- A epidemic has been reported in Quito, according to Health Ministry officials. Despite statements denying further spreading of the illness, the cases are still increasing in number; there are 25 cases so far, and two people have already died. The ministry has only 700,000 doses of the vaccine but has begun a massive inoculation campaign to try and control the epidemic. (Madrid EFE in Spanish 2026 GMT 21 March 94) Guatemala Cholera -- Cholera continues to thwart the poor areas of Quetzaltenango, as six people have died within a short period. Authorities have been unsuccessful in convincing relatives to bury their dead quickly, instead of mourning them for the usual 24 hours. (Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in Spanish 17 March 94 p 33) Cholera -- Health officials have reported cholera has hit Escuintla, Guatemala, and Izabal Departments the hardest, with 34 percent, 26 percent, and 6.8 |
FBIS3-22678_2 | Roundup of Regional Epidemiological Developments Through 25 March | GMT 21 March 94) Guatemala Cholera -- Cholera continues to thwart the poor areas of Quetzaltenango, as six people have died within a short period. Authorities have been unsuccessful in convincing relatives to bury their dead quickly, instead of mourning them for the usual 24 hours. (Guatemala City PRENSA LIBRE in Spanish 17 March 94 p 33) Cholera -- Health officials have reported cholera has hit Escuintla, Guatemala, and Izabal Departments the hardest, with 34 percent, 26 percent, and 6.8 percent of the cases respectively. Health Minister Gustavo Hernandez has told reporters during a meeting with international health organizations there has been a 33-percent increase in the number of cases this year in relation to the same period in 1993. (Guatemala City SIGLO VEINTIUNO in Spanish 23 March 94 p 3) Honduras Cholera -- Atlantic Coast communities have reported six new cases of cholera. Official reports state the total figure is 640 for the first three months of the year, and 16 people have died. Officials are bracing for the Easter holidays, as thousands of vacationers converge on regional beaches. (Hamburg DPA in Spanish 1742 GMT 24 March 94) Mexico Mange -- Chihuahua Indians are suffering from mange, according to a report by a group of missionaries touring poor communities in the region. A Tarahumara community near the U.S. border has 70 cases. Missionaries have called the situation an epidemic, as cases tend to increase due to the high level of malnutrition and the lack of health services in the area. (Madrid EFE in Spanish 2224 GMT 13 March 94) Panama AIDS -- Epidemiologist Xavier Saenz-Llorens, from the Children's Hospital, has reported there are 625 children under the age of 15 who have the AIDS virus. Overall, there are approximately 15,000 cases nationwide. Eleven children have died so far. A good 95 percent of these cases are due to prenatal infection, meaning they contracted the disease inside the womb. (Panama City LA ESTRELLA DE PANAMA in Spanish 22 March 94 p A1) HIV -- Dr. Amalia French, director of Santo Tomas Hospital, has reported there are approximately 30,000 HIV carriers in Panama, meaning, she explained, 15,000 to 20,000 people will develop the disease over the next 10 years. Health officials say there are insufficient resources to deal with such a high number and stress the need for prevention. (Panama City Circuito RPC Television in Spanish 2300 GMT 18 March 94) |
FBIS3-22679_0 | AIDS Policy, Statistics Reported | Language: Spanish Article Type:CSO [Articles by Juan Carlos Rivera and Alberto Salazar] [Excerpts] [Passage omitted] In recent months, as a result of our country's sanatorium policy, consideration has been given to reincorporating AIDS patients into society. This raises the possibility of outpatient treatment with ongoing medical checkups and monitoring of the virus and illustrates our respect for patients as individuals and the protection of their human rights. Reincorporation, which will be only for those who have accepted their condition as HIV-positive, are sufficiently mature and psychologically well balanced, and display responsible social and sexual conduct, will not mean the disappearance of the sanatoriums. The move is part of Cuba's advancing and consistent program for battling AIDS. [passage omitted] Box, p 8] The AIDS sanatorium in Pinar del Rio has 44 patients, although there were 96 HIV-positives in the provinces in October 1993. The rest are in Los Cocos in Havana. There have been 20 deaths since the disease emerged. The sanatorium has 48 employees. Its director, Dr. Angel Fulladosa, says that surveys in college preparatory schools in the province reveal that youngsters know quite a bit about AIDS. Most, however, answer yes to this question: "And if you feel like it, do you have sexual relations even if you know that you are HIV-positive?" [passage omitted] Moreover, drugstores are no longer carrying condoms, and youngsters are not in the habit of using them anyway. The high risk groups in the province are girls 14 to 18 and boys 16 to 20. There are other risk groups as well, though. There is systematic monitoring in the province, and 700,000 tests have been done since studies began in 1986. This enables us to say that there must not be more than a few undetected cases in the province. The young people here can receive visits from their relatives or go home for several days, and this helps their morale greatly. Some sanatoriums have also started gradually releasing patients back into their neighborhoods. They have good relations here with the locals, and friendships are developing. All of this is helping to make the youngsters less aggressive. Proper, humanitarian treatment improves social relations, Fulladosa says, as we tour the sanatorium's new facilities under construction: soon to be completed bungalows among the trees with a maximum capacity of 150. While many governments and health-care systems around the world seem powerless or at least bewildered by |
FBIS3-22679_3 | AIDS Policy, Statistics Reported | the fingers of one hand, and concurrently the nation developed its own technology for manufacturing these items. "In late 1985 and early 1986 we looked into the possibility of doing testing with diagnostic kits in spite of their high price on the market. We also decided to fight AIDS as just another sexually transmitted disease, by identifying risk groups, undertaking major prevention and education efforts among the population, and preventing infection through the perinatal route. "Another element in the strategy was the establishment of sanatoriums for those who tested HIV-positive. HIV-positives were thus surrounded by various kinds of specialists to prevent fatal complications, and the chances of the virus spreading among the healthy population were considerably lessened. "As you can see, the system of sanatoriums is one of the pillars of our success in battling AIDS, but it is not the only one." At this point in the conversation Dr. Rodriguez Alvarez remarked that outpatient treatment is not altogether new, inasmuch as several HIV-positive persons have been receiving it for five years, either full-time or taking periodic leaves in the company of medical personnel or a relative who makes sure that their behavior on the street is above reproach. "Outpatient treatment," the director of the National Health Education Center adds, "represents a higher stage in the development of the program and should in no way be related to the financial limitations facing the country. We have been and will be unstinting with resources in battling the disease, and the proof of this is that those who avail themselves of this arrangement will continue to receive medication absolutely free of charge and a special diet that meets all protein and calorie requirements. "Now then," Dr. Suarez Gil says, retaking the floor, "not all sanatorium patients will automatically be reincorporated into society. Each sanatorium has commissions that decide which patients are responsible enough about their own health and that of the community. There is enough background information for a correct decision in each case, because we are familiar with the earlier lives of these persons, their work and social history, their ethical values, the families they came from, and, something very important, their behavior inside the sanatorium, how they are reconciling themselves to the disease, etc. "In addition to the principle of selectivity, there is also the principle of choice. No patient will be forced to accept outpatient treatment even if the |
FBIS3-22679_4 | AIDS Policy, Statistics Reported | treatment," the director of the National Health Education Center adds, "represents a higher stage in the development of the program and should in no way be related to the financial limitations facing the country. We have been and will be unstinting with resources in battling the disease, and the proof of this is that those who avail themselves of this arrangement will continue to receive medication absolutely free of charge and a special diet that meets all protein and calorie requirements. "Now then," Dr. Suarez Gil says, retaking the floor, "not all sanatorium patients will automatically be reincorporated into society. Each sanatorium has commissions that decide which patients are responsible enough about their own health and that of the community. There is enough background information for a correct decision in each case, because we are familiar with the earlier lives of these persons, their work and social history, their ethical values, the families they came from, and, something very important, their behavior inside the sanatorium, how they are reconciling themselves to the disease, etc. "In addition to the principle of selectivity, there is also the principle of choice. No patient will be forced to accept outpatient treatment even if the medical commission decides that he can. Only those who deserve and want it can receive it. We even anticipate offering them the chance to keep on living in the sanatorium and to study or work on the outside. "They are also guaranteed ongoing specialized medical care, whether at the sanatorium, through family physicians (who have been appropriately trained in this connection), in provincial hospitals, or at the Pedro Kouri Institute of Tropical Medicine," Gil Suarez notes. "As we see things," Dr. Rodriguez Alvarez remarks, "reincorporating HIV-positive people into their families and into society at large will reinforce the prevention and education work that we physicians are doing in various ways. The message will be most effective among young people, who represent the highest risk group, because it will be conveyed by people their own age who dress the same, have the same general tastes, the same psychology, and ways of looking at the world...." "The patients are displaying an admirable willingness to cooperate in this connection. The sanatoriums have done a lot of work with them, and we should underscore their involvement in a prevention system that they themselves have inspired and built in the centers in which they are |
FBIS3-22680_0 | Onchocerciasis Control Efforts Described | Language: Spanish Article Type:CSO [Article by Marco Bustamente: "War Against Onchocerciasis"; first paragraph is editorial introduction] [Excerpt] More than one year ago VISTAZO reported on the possibility that Ecuador would be the first country in the world to control Onchocerciasis. This possibility is about to become a reality. Discovered in Ecuador in the Province of Esmeraldas in the mid 1970's, Onchocerciasis, a disease caused by a fly bite which can end up causing blindness in its victims, received attention in the Ecuadoran press a little more than one year ago. The reason for the attention was unfortunately the low state of public health in that province. A discussion of the cause of this situation ranged between malaria, a viral disease related to AIDS, and "river blindness," or Onchocerciasis. The positive aspect of this discussion, as VISTAZO reported, lay in the possibility that, because the territory in which the disease has been found is limited to rural areas of the Province of Esmeraldas, its transmission can be controlled, and this illness can be eradicated. This prediction was made by Ronald Guderian, a North American researcher from Vozandes Hospital in Quito. It was regarded with healthy skepticism by VISTAZO. Up to now the only disease in the world which has been successfully eradicated has been measles. This was done following an effort made by thousands of scientists, the expenditure of millions of dollars, and the passage of more than two decades. Furthermore, the last time that the term "eradication" was used in Ecuador was in connection with malaria. And although the National Service for the Eradication of Malaria, or SNEM, the government office in charge of handling this disease, still does not consider that the illness has been conquered, malaria eradication in Ecuador for the moment remains a well-intentioned wish, rather than a realistic goal. Nevertheless, the control and eventual eradication of Onchocerciasis is quite probable in Ecuador. Guderian says, "Yes, Onchocerciasis can be controlled." In fact he is the principal author of the "National Plan for the Elimination of Onchocerciasis in Ecuador," which he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Mariela Anselmi and Dr. Alberto Narvaez, of the Ministry of Public Health. Action on the plan began in 1993 and will be completed in 1997. The difference between this document and other, similar plans which have only been on paper, can be summarized in two terms: money and the effective distribution of |
FBIS3-22680_1 | Onchocerciasis Control Efforts Described | the only disease in the world which has been successfully eradicated has been measles. This was done following an effort made by thousands of scientists, the expenditure of millions of dollars, and the passage of more than two decades. Furthermore, the last time that the term "eradication" was used in Ecuador was in connection with malaria. And although the National Service for the Eradication of Malaria, or SNEM, the government office in charge of handling this disease, still does not consider that the illness has been conquered, malaria eradication in Ecuador for the moment remains a well-intentioned wish, rather than a realistic goal. Nevertheless, the control and eventual eradication of Onchocerciasis is quite probable in Ecuador. Guderian says, "Yes, Onchocerciasis can be controlled." In fact he is the principal author of the "National Plan for the Elimination of Onchocerciasis in Ecuador," which he wrote in collaboration with Dr. Mariela Anselmi and Dr. Alberto Narvaez, of the Ministry of Public Health. Action on the plan began in 1993 and will be completed in 1997. The difference between this document and other, similar plans which have only been on paper, can be summarized in two terms: money and the effective distribution of medicine to those suffering from the disease. Guderian and his team, with the cooperation of the Ministry of Health, have obtained funds from foreign sources amounting to $170,000 for the first year of the program. By 1997 these funds will have totaled $730,000. This will be the financial cost of freeing Ecuador and nearly 25,000 Ecuadorans -- principally black citizens and members of the "Chachi" tribe of Indians in Esmeralda Province. As a result Ecuador is in an excellent position to be the first country to control the spread of this disease and accomplish its eradication, due to the availability of money, including funds from the local, private sector, the limited geographic distribution of the disease, the previous experience of Ecuadoran and foreign researchers, the lack of excessive bureaucracy in the program, the improved, though modest, cooperation of the Ministry of Health, and the donation of a medicine called "Ivermectina" by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company. Guderian has said: "According to the goals agreed upon at two recent, scientific meetings, our goals are stopping the spread of the disease by the year 2000 and achieving its eradication by 2011." Evaluation of the program at the national level will be conducted by |
FBIS3-22680_3 | Onchocerciasis Control Efforts Described | Dr. Jose Rumbea, professor of tropical medicine at the University of Guayaquil and an associate of Guderian in the control program. Key Drug Rural areas of the Province of Esmeraldas basically have onchocerciasis because, in the affected areas -- the basins of the Cayapas and Santiago Rivers and other, small areas where the disease is found -- there are flies of the "Simulium" variety, known popularly as "juros" [always there], which transmit the disease. For example, when a person living in the Province of Esmeralda or an Indian of the "Chachi" tribe goes to the rivers to get water, he or she is bitten by a fly already infected with so-called "microfilary" parasites. In the bite the fly injects onchocerciasis larvae, which eventually settle in subcutaneous skin tissue, where they develop into adult worms. These worms are encapsulated by the body. In an attempt to isolate them the body forms subcutaneous nodules. Inside these nodules are worms which produce thousands of microfilary parasites which spread out into nearby body tissue. Immune reactions against the microfilary parasites, which account for most of the symptoms, can cause anything from blindness to skin wrinkles. If the microfilary parasites block lymphatic circulation, it is possible to see elephantiasis, a grotesque and pendulous growth of tissue alongside the obstruction. Trying to control the flies has turned out to be impractical because of the cost. The strategy which Guderian and his associates have followed is based on "taking away the raw material," so to speak, from the flies transmitting the disease. How is this done? In the first place, by extracting the subcutaneous nodules, where the adult worms produce thousands of microfilary parasites. This procedure is called "nodulectomy." Secondly, trying to reduce the number of microfilary parasites which, after leaving the nodules, move to the surrounding tissue, waiting for a fly which transmits the disease but is not yet infected to bite the sick person. The fly then becomes infected and can bite another, healthy person, continuing the transmission of the disease. The drug which successfully kills these microfilary parasites is called "Ivermectina." It has been donated by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company to the control program, thanks in part to efforts made by Dr. Plutarco Naranjo, the former minister of health. During the periodic trips which the researchers make to the areas affected by the disease they have evaluated more than 20,000 persons who have the |
FBIS3-22680_4 | Onchocerciasis Control Efforts Described | These worms are encapsulated by the body. In an attempt to isolate them the body forms subcutaneous nodules. Inside these nodules are worms which produce thousands of microfilary parasites which spread out into nearby body tissue. Immune reactions against the microfilary parasites, which account for most of the symptoms, can cause anything from blindness to skin wrinkles. If the microfilary parasites block lymphatic circulation, it is possible to see elephantiasis, a grotesque and pendulous growth of tissue alongside the obstruction. Trying to control the flies has turned out to be impractical because of the cost. The strategy which Guderian and his associates have followed is based on "taking away the raw material," so to speak, from the flies transmitting the disease. How is this done? In the first place, by extracting the subcutaneous nodules, where the adult worms produce thousands of microfilary parasites. This procedure is called "nodulectomy." Secondly, trying to reduce the number of microfilary parasites which, after leaving the nodules, move to the surrounding tissue, waiting for a fly which transmits the disease but is not yet infected to bite the sick person. The fly then becomes infected and can bite another, healthy person, continuing the transmission of the disease. The drug which successfully kills these microfilary parasites is called "Ivermectina." It has been donated by the Merck Pharmaceutical Company to the control program, thanks in part to efforts made by Dr. Plutarco Naranjo, the former minister of health. During the periodic trips which the researchers make to the areas affected by the disease they have evaluated more than 20,000 persons who have the disease. They provide them with "Ivermectina" twice a year and, if necessary, perform nodulectomies to remove the adult worms. According to Dr. Marlene Silva, coordinator of the present program, "When we go to see them, the great majority of the patients are interested in receiving `Ivermectina.' We work with their community leaders. Only in this way have we succeeded in reaching those 20,000 patients." In effect, according to Doctor Rumbea, who evaluates the results, "We have seen how, in certain cases, the number of microfilary parasites has been reduced after treatment from about 1,000 microfilary parasites per cubic millimeter of skin down to two or three microfilary parasites per cubic millimeter. Furthermore, the program for controlling onchocerciasis in Ecuador can serve as a guide for other programs, like the one in Colombia." [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-22686_0 | Ufa Inhabitants' Health Endangered by Dioxin | Language: Russian Article Type:BFN [Unattributed report under "Nature Conservation" rubric: "Ufa Remains a Place Dangerous to Life"] [Text] Research by scientists has shown that in individual parts of Ufa the maximum permissible concentrations of an extremely toxic substance -- dioxin -- in the air exceed the norm by tens of times. In the area where the "Khimprom" Production Association, which produces herbicides, is located this figure is equal to almost 20,000 times the maximum permissible concentration. Newborn babies take in up to 80 times the maximum permissible concentration of dioxin every day with their mother's milk. The republic's gene pool is perishing catastrophically. Mothers' milk and the blood and adipose tissue of the inhabitants of Bashkortostan are literally "larded" with toxic substances in quantities dangerous to life. This has been stated by Gennadiy Minin, the republic's chief state physician. Misfortune came to the land of Bashkortostan in April 1990. Unpurified waste and drainage water from Ufa's "Khimprom" flowed into the city water intake, poisoning thousands of cubic meters of drinking water with phenol. Knowing nothing, almost all the residents of the city with a population of 1 million used poisoned water for a long time. Then a large amount of dioxin was discovered in the water, the air, and the soil. Despite the city folk's protests, "Khimprom" is continuing to poison the environment or, rather, what is left of it. In addition, one more installation in Ufa has been discovered which is surreptitiously destroying nature and people with dioxin -- an experimental plant for the production of herbicides. Equipment to analyze the content of dioxin in the environment was purchased abroad at tremendous expense. But this is not the first year that it has been lying totally inactive. Taking advantage of the lack of control over it, the Bashkortostan State Committee for Ecology and Nature Use is squandering huge sums allocated to nature conservation. But a start has not been made on resolving the "dioxin problem" in the republic. |
FBIS3-22688_0 | Abortion Study Is First in Area of Former USSR | Language: Finnish Article Type:CSO [Article by Leena Hietanen: "Estonian Abortion Numbers Highest in Europe"] [Text] Tallinn -- In Western countries the women who need abortions are young and unmarried using abortion to postpone their first time of giving birth. In Estonia abortion is used most often by women who are married and have already had children. This is the finding of a study published last fall which is the first study of its kind in the region covered by the former USSR. First Pregnancy Leads to Marriage The abortion study was conducted by Estonian population researchers Kalev Katus and Allan Puur together with the University of Michigan. The study is part of a broader study on fertility. Some 360 women who had had abortions in a Tallinn hospital during 1991 were interviewed in the study. The researchers had hospital data on the women in addition to the information supplied by the women. The information supplied by the women and the hospital had a high degree of correlation, which is a significant difference between this study and studies elsewhere in the world. In Sweden, for example, women reported only one-half of their abortions, and in the United States only one-third. "In general, no moral or guilt issues are connected with abortion, and thus they are no embarrassment," says Allan Puur. Sixty-eight percent of the women having abortions are married, 18 percent are in cohabitation arrangements, and 14 percent are unmarried. In Western countries an average of 75 percent of abortions are by young, unmarried women. In Estonia the first pregnancy generally leads to marriage. When a woman becomes pregnant she would rather legalize the relationship. In Estonia the age at which women get married is quite young, 23, while in Finland this age is 26, and in Sweden 27. The objective of the study is to determine who are the women that resort to abortions the most often. "The ethnic background was the most consistent factor apparent for those who choose abortion as a means of birth control. Russian women have more abortions than Estonian women do," observed Allan Puur. According to the study, 43 percent of the Estonian women had had no previous abortions. The comparable figure for non-Estonian women was 29 percent. Four percent of the Estonians and 9 percent of non-Estonians had had three abortions previously. "For Estonian women an abortion is usually the result of an unsuccessful |
FBIS3-22693_0 | Advice on Hepatitis B Immunization Ignored | Language: English Article Type:CSO [Article by Victoria Macdonald: "Chance To End Hepatitis B Deaths `Ignored'"] [Text] The Government is resisting expert advice and a recommendation from the World Health Organisation to introduce a national immunisation programme against hepatitis B, a virus 1,000 times more infectious than AIDS. Health ministers claim the incidence is too low to be of significance, even though it kills one in five carriers and more than 600 people a year die of it in Britain. In response to a written question from Dawn Primarolo, Labour health spokesman, Tom Sackville, junior health minister, said last week: "Immunisation strategy is kept under review." But sources at the health department said ministers were concerned at the cost of such a programme. The WHO first recommended national immunisation in 1991 and this was endorsed by the World Health Assembly the following year. Experts in Britain have told the health department that an immunisation programme targeting infants or teenagers -- or both -- could effectively wipe out the virus. They have also called for more effective notification of the disease because they fear it is being vastly under-reported. The United States, New Zealand, Hong Kong, Singapore and Canada are among countries that have already followed the recommendations. Professor Arie Zuckerman, of the Royal Free Hospital, an adviser on viral diseases to the health department and the WHO, said last week: "This is an infection which is preventable. It is also a very important public health issue." Like AIDS, hepatitis B is transmitted sexually or by infected blood or contaminated medical instruments. The WHO estimates that one in 20 people in Europe alone have or have had the virus. But Prof. Zuckerman said the problem here was the lack of epidemiological data. "The official view is based on the notification rates to the Public Health Laboratory Service. But I do not buy that, because in most cases the symptoms are not recognised and not all cases are reported," he said. It could affect 15 to 20 per cent of the population rather than the less than one per cent cited by the health department. "Eradicating hepatitis B by immunisation is an achievable target and the UK should participate in the WHO programme," Prof. Zuckerman said. "If you compare the costs of treatment with prevention, then there is no question about which is cheaper." |
FBIS3-22696_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 7-13 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 7 to 13 March concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. Source follows each item. Mozambique Dysentery -- "The outbreak of dysentery that has affected Cabo Delgado Province since the end of the first half of 1993 caused 51 deaths by the end of February. Reports from Cabo Delgado say that the outbreak has already affected all districts of the province with the exception of Ibo Islands. A total of 4,027 cases were recorded by February." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 13 Mar 94) South Africa AIDS -- "3,071 AIDS cases have been reported in South Africa since the epidemic started in 1983, and 1,188 cases were diagnosed last year, the Department of National Health said on Friday. AIDS was still under-reported, a statement said. Adult AIDS cases doubled in 1993, from 527 in 1992 to 1,062. Paediatric AIDS was probably the worst-reported category. Only half these cases were reported last year (104), compared to (211) the previous year. Sexual transmission of AIDS accounted for almost 80 per cent (2,435) of cases, and transmission from mother to child accounted for 16 per cent (481) of cases. Blood transfusions and blood products were the mode of transmission in 1.5 per cent of cases. The mode of transmission was not stated in 3.5 per cent of AIDS reports, the statement said. To date only two patients have been reported who contracted the HIV virus through intravenous drug abuse." (Johannesburg SAPA in English 1336 GMT 11 Mar 94) |
FBIS3-22697_0 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-20 March | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] Following is a compilation of reports monitored by FBIS Mbabane Bureau from 14 to 20 March concerning outbreaks of and reports on various diseases. Items are listed by country and disease. Source follows each item. Botswana AIDS -- Health Minister Bahitik Temane says a large proportion of patients have been admitted in every Botswana hospital with AIDS-related illnesses. Presenting his ministry's budget to Parliament yesterday, Mr. Temane said in the future the country's health services might not be able to maintain standards, as more and more resources get swallowed up by AIDS-related services. He said alternative programs like home-based care are being developed, but prevention remains the best solution. (Gaborone Radio Botswana Network in English 1610 GMT 18 Mar 94) Mozambique Diarrhea -- One person is dead and other serious cases of bloody diarrhea were reported since it affected the Mahelane location of Changalane Administration Region in Maputo Province's Namaacha District. Between 30 and 40 patients suffering from bloody diarrhea are being treated at the Changalane Health Post. Nurse Helena Bila says the epidemic is spreading because the people are using water from the Changalane River without boiling it. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 14 Mar 94) Dysentery -- A total of 25 people have died of dysentery in Gaza Province over the past two months. Medical superintendent Dr. Mario Marine said more than 6,500 cases of dysentery were registered during the same period. Chokwe District was the most affected with about 2,000 cases. Dr. Mario Marine said the disease is mostly caused by bad hygiene and the consumption of unclean water. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 17 Mar 94) Dysentery -- The MOZAMBIQUE INFORMATION AGENCY (AIM) has learned that two government soldiers died of dysentery at the Lichinga Assembly Area in the capital of Niassa Province last February. The provincial government has already sent medicine and health personnel to the assembly area and improved the soldiers'diet. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1400 GMT 19 Mar 94) Cholera -- "Cholera has been affecting Cabo Delgado Province since the end of last year and it has already caused six deaths. A total of 660 cases of cholera were diagnosed between January and February of this year. Meanwhile, dysentery killed another four people over the same period." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 15 Mar 94) AIDS -- "Officials |
FBIS3-22697_2 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-20 March | of the National Program Against AIDS have said they were frightened of the AIDS situation in Tete Province. AIDS has grown tremendously in that province. The team visited Tete Province's Changara, Cahora Bassa, and the provincial capital." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Protuguese 1030 GMT 16 mar 94) Namibia Tuberculosis -- "The oldest and most primitive people in southern Africa, the San or Bushmen of Namibia, are being threatened by a tuberculosis epidemic." Dr. Hans Nel, district surgeon for Gobabis, reports: "It is approximately the highest prevalence rate of tuberculosis right now in the world. When we started this study there were only 18 cases that we knew of that were positive for tuberculosis. At the end of one year's study and follow-up study there were 385 cases, which meant that there was quite a large percentage of positive cases identified." "It can pose a threat to the elimination of the Bushmen as a whole, especially the fact that they are a small group in a community, grouped together in a certain area in Namibia." (Johannesburg Channel Africa Radio in English 1100 GMT 17 Mar 94) Meningitis -- Josef Mothina writes that "mass immunisation against the worst outbreak of meningitis in Namibia in 10 years is to start this week. So far at least 150 cases of the killer disease have been reported countrywide. Since the end of January, when the first cases of the disease were reported, 69 cases have occurred in the south; 52 in Katutura and seven in the Otjozondjupa region." (Windhoek THE NAMIBIAN in English 14 Mar 94 pp 1, 2) South Africa New TB Strain -- Kathryn Strachan reports that "a new multidrug- resistant strain of tuberculosis is emerging in South Africa, with about 2 percent of TB [tuberculosis] cases proving resistant to treatment." At the Tuberculosis Beyond 2000 conference in Pretoria on 14 March, Medical Research Council spokesman Dr. Karin Weyer said "in the U.S., HIV infection had been associated with outbreaks of multidrug-resistant TB. This was cause for concern for SA, as the incidence of HIV was increasing. However, while nearly all multidrug-resistant TB patients in the U.S. were HIV positive, in SA the proportion was only about 3 percent. Local estimates of multidrug-resistant TB were low." (Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in English 15 Mar 94 p 2) Zimbabwe AIDS -- The cumulative number of AIDS cases is estimated to rise to more than |
FBIS3-22697_3 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-20 March | 94) Namibia Tuberculosis -- "The oldest and most primitive people in southern Africa, the San or Bushmen of Namibia, are being threatened by a tuberculosis epidemic." Dr. Hans Nel, district surgeon for Gobabis, reports: "It is approximately the highest prevalence rate of tuberculosis right now in the world. When we started this study there were only 18 cases that we knew of that were positive for tuberculosis. At the end of one year's study and follow-up study there were 385 cases, which meant that there was quite a large percentage of positive cases identified." "It can pose a threat to the elimination of the Bushmen as a whole, especially the fact that they are a small group in a community, grouped together in a certain area in Namibia." (Johannesburg Channel Africa Radio in English 1100 GMT 17 Mar 94) Meningitis -- Josef Mothina writes that "mass immunisation against the worst outbreak of meningitis in Namibia in 10 years is to start this week. So far at least 150 cases of the killer disease have been reported countrywide. Since the end of January, when the first cases of the disease were reported, 69 cases have occurred in the south; 52 in Katutura and seven in the Otjozondjupa region." (Windhoek THE NAMIBIAN in English 14 Mar 94 pp 1, 2) South Africa New TB Strain -- Kathryn Strachan reports that "a new multidrug- resistant strain of tuberculosis is emerging in South Africa, with about 2 percent of TB [tuberculosis] cases proving resistant to treatment." At the Tuberculosis Beyond 2000 conference in Pretoria on 14 March, Medical Research Council spokesman Dr. Karin Weyer said "in the U.S., HIV infection had been associated with outbreaks of multidrug-resistant TB. This was cause for concern for SA, as the incidence of HIV was increasing. However, while nearly all multidrug-resistant TB patients in the U.S. were HIV positive, in SA the proportion was only about 3 percent. Local estimates of multidrug-resistant TB were low." (Johannesburg BUSINESS DAY in English 15 Mar 94 p 2) Zimbabwe AIDS -- The cumulative number of AIDS cases is estimated to rise to more than 130,000 by the end of this year, according to the National AIDS Coordination Program. There were more than 30,000 estimated new cases of AIDS in 1993. At the moment, however, there are only 28,000 full-blown AIDS cases. (Harare THE HERALD in English 12 Mar 94 p 1) |
FBIS3-22698_1 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-27 March | Mozambique Network in Portuguese 0800 GMT 22 Mar 94) AIDS -- The weekly DOMINGO newspaper reports today that 150,000 people are infected with the AIDS virus in Mozambique. The newspaper was quoting Dr. (Agostinho Barreto), director of the national program for fighting AIDS and sexually transmitted diseases. Noting that the estimated figure applies to December of last year, Dr. (Barreto) added that it is far from reflecting the truth because the country does not have the right equipment to carry out accurate diagnosis. He also said that AIDS is growing fastest in central Manica, Sofala, and Tete Provinces, which account for 55 percent of all AIDS cases in the country. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 0800 GMT 27 Mar 94) TB -- The Cabo Delgado health authorities say "860 cases of tuberculosis were diagnosed in 1993. Of that figure, 309 cases were reported in urban centers of Montepuez and Pemba, and the remainder in rural areas. In 1993, 779 leprosy cases were reported in the same province." (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 0800 GMT 23 Mar 94) Diarrhea in Sofala -- "Diarrhea is reemerging in Beira, the capital of Sofala Province. Beira Hospital's cholera ward admitted 30 patients suffering from that ailment during the first 10 days of this month. One of those patients has died." (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Mar 94 p 3) Diarrhea in Gaza -- "Some 360 cases of diarrhea with traces of blood have been reported in Gaza Province's Chibuto District since March 1993." The health director for Chibuto District said that an average of five to six people are diagnosed with that ailment every week. There have been no deaths so far. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 26 Mar 94) Dysentery in Manica -- The epidemic which broke out in Manica Province early last year continues to be a threat to public health, with the number of cases growing considerably in Chimoio and in other districts of Manica Province. By the end of last year, the epidemic had killed 27 people, out of 8,966 cases reported. (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Mar 94 p 3) Dysentery in Gaza -- At least 25 people have died of dysentery in Gaza Province over the past year. The province also registered more than 6,500 cases of dysentery during this period. This was revealed by provincial chief doctor Mario Marize. Dr. Marize said |
FBIS3-22698_2 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-27 March | suffering from that ailment during the first 10 days of this month. One of those patients has died." (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Mar 94 p 3) Diarrhea in Gaza -- "Some 360 cases of diarrhea with traces of blood have been reported in Gaza Province's Chibuto District since March 1993." The health director for Chibuto District said that an average of five to six people are diagnosed with that ailment every week. There have been no deaths so far. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 26 Mar 94) Dysentery in Manica -- The epidemic which broke out in Manica Province early last year continues to be a threat to public health, with the number of cases growing considerably in Chimoio and in other districts of Manica Province. By the end of last year, the epidemic had killed 27 people, out of 8,966 cases reported. (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Mar 94 p 3) Dysentery in Gaza -- At least 25 people have died of dysentery in Gaza Province over the past year. The province also registered more than 6,500 cases of dysentery during this period. This was revealed by provincial chief doctor Mario Marize. Dr. Marize said the most affected district is Chokwe, with about 2,000 cases, followed by Chicualacuala and Guija. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1730 GMT 24 Mar 94) Namibia Malaria -- "According to statistics from the Kavango and Caprivi regions, at least 191,206 malaria cases, with 134 deaths, have been reported since last year in the northeast of Namibia." According to the 1993 annual medical report more than 60,000 of all outpatients were under the age of five. Nearly 6,000 adults, with 53 deaths, were admitted to hospitals last year with malaria. This year 434 adults were admitted to hospital, with four deaths recorded. Of the 7,356 children admitted to hospitals with malaria in 1993, 75 died. Since the beginning of this year 559 children have already been admitted, 2 died. (Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in Afrikaans 17 Mar 94 p 5) Meningitis -- "Altogether 257 cases of meningitis, with 18 deaths recorded, have been reported countrywide since the beginning of the year. Most cases occurred in the Windhoek district. Meningitis vaccine arrived in Namibia yesterday from the Pasteur Institute in France." (Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in Afrikaans 18 Mar 94 p 1) Swaziland Malaria -- "At least six people had been killed by |
FBIS3-22698_3 | Epidemiological Reports Monitored 14-27 March | Chibuto District since March 1993." The health director for Chibuto District said that an average of five to six people are diagnosed with that ailment every week. There have been no deaths so far. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1030 GMT 26 Mar 94) Dysentery in Manica -- The epidemic which broke out in Manica Province early last year continues to be a threat to public health, with the number of cases growing considerably in Chimoio and in other districts of Manica Province. By the end of last year, the epidemic had killed 27 people, out of 8,966 cases reported. (Maputo NOTICIAS in Portuguese 18 Mar 94 p 3) Dysentery in Gaza -- At least 25 people have died of dysentery in Gaza Province over the past year. The province also registered more than 6,500 cases of dysentery during this period. This was revealed by provincial chief doctor Mario Marize. Dr. Marize said the most affected district is Chokwe, with about 2,000 cases, followed by Chicualacuala and Guija. (Maputo Radio Mozambique Network in Portuguese 1730 GMT 24 Mar 94) Namibia Malaria -- "According to statistics from the Kavango and Caprivi regions, at least 191,206 malaria cases, with 134 deaths, have been reported since last year in the northeast of Namibia." According to the 1993 annual medical report more than 60,000 of all outpatients were under the age of five. Nearly 6,000 adults, with 53 deaths, were admitted to hospitals last year with malaria. This year 434 adults were admitted to hospital, with four deaths recorded. Of the 7,356 children admitted to hospitals with malaria in 1993, 75 died. Since the beginning of this year 559 children have already been admitted, 2 died. (Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in Afrikaans 17 Mar 94 p 5) Meningitis -- "Altogether 257 cases of meningitis, with 18 deaths recorded, have been reported countrywide since the beginning of the year. Most cases occurred in the Windhoek district. Meningitis vaccine arrived in Namibia yesterday from the Pasteur Institute in France." (Windhoek DIE REPUBLIKEIN in Afrikaans 18 Mar 94 p 1) Swaziland Malaria -- "At least six people had been killed by malaria in Lubombo -- four of them this month alone." A spokesman for the Malaria Control Unit said the malaria outbreak started "early this year with two people killed last month and four this month." (Mbabane THE SWAZI OBSERVER in English 24 Mar 94 p 1) |
FBIS3-22699_1 | Roundup of Disease Reports 5-18 March | deadly disease appears endemic in Ekpoman, Eruwa, Eson West, and Eson Central local government areas in Edo State. The first clinical confirmation of the disease was in January 1989, in Ekpoman, where it wiped out a family of three. The first outbreak of the disease was reported in the middle of February. The chief medical director of Eruwa hospital said initial investigation showed no fewer than 20 persons being invested with the Lassa fever virus in Eruwa alone. Experts say the situation in the affected areas is being brought under control. [Lagos NTA Television Network in English 2000 GMT 5 Mar 94] Immunization -- Over 8 percent of children born in Benue State die as a result of inadequate immunization. This figure was disclosed by the UNICEF representative in Nigeria, Komio Waki, during his tour of projects in the state. [Lagos NTA Television Network in English 2000 GMT 14 Mar 94] Cholera -- About 5,000 refugees forced to leave the Bakassi peninsula because of the conflict there between Nigeria and Cameroon and who are currently living in two camps in Akwa Ibom State are threatened by cholera. The BBC Lagos correspondent, who has just visited the camps, reports that medical facilities at the camps appeared inadequate and one doctor told her there had already been 15 deaths from cholera. [London BBC World Service in English 1705 GMT 18 Mar 94] Somalia Cholera -- Reports from Mogadishu, Somalia, say a cholera epidemic is now claiming hundreds of lives in a country already ravaged by war and famine. Some 58 new cases are said to have been admitted to the clinic run by Medecins Sans Frontieres in Mogadishu in addition to the more than 400 cases already recorded in the city. The first case of the disease was reported in Februarg. [Lagos NTA Television Network in English 2000 GMT 16 Mar 94] Tanzania Cholera -- Two people have died and 56 others have been admitted to Igunga Hospital following the recent outbreak of cholera in Igunga District. Confirming the cholera outbreak, the Igunga District medical officer, Dr. Julius Gombanila, told Tabora Regional Commissioner Lawrence Gama that since 3 March two people have died of cholera in the Nange and Igunga locations of Igunga District. Addressing the public in various locations in the district, Dr. Gama proclaimed a quarantine order in the district in order to curb this dangerous disease. Dr. Gama advised |
FBIS3-22699_3 | Roundup of Disease Reports 5-18 March | Gama advised the residents of the district to boil all their drinking water and ordered that all those families without proper toilets must build one within seven days. those who fail to adhere to this order will be prosecuted before a court of law for failing to obey the Public Health Law of Tanzania. [Dar es Salaam Radio Tanzania Network in Swahili 0400 GMT 6 Mar 94] Shigella -- Eight people have died of dysentery at Olepiometo village in Monduli District. The member of parliament for Monduli District, Honorable Lekilal Ole Moloinet, said the disease is caused by a kind of virus known as shigella. The MP said Monduli District is faced with a shortage of drugs for the treatment of the disease and that doctors have advised citizens to boil drinking water as a preventive measure. [Dar es Salaam Radio Tanzania Network in Swahili 1700 GMT 7 Mar 94] Uganda AIDS -- The Uganda Government has mobilized more than 251 billion shillings to finance the war against AIDS. This was disclosed by Health Minister James Makumbi at a news conference held at the headquarters of the Uganda AIDS Commission in Kampala on 14 March. The amount is expected to be contributed by 11 international donor organizations who have made pledges. The money is to be used in efforts to reduce the spread of the HIV virus, caring for the affected individuals, and finding the economic and social impacts of AIDS. Dr. Makumbi said the figure of Ugandans now infected with HIV stands at 1.5 million out of a population of 17 million. He lamented that the majority of HIV positive people are in the active and productive age of between 15 and 49 years. [Kampala Radio Uganda Network in English 1700 GMT 14 Mar 94] Zaire Cholera -- A deadly cholera epidemic has broken out in Malemba-Nkulu Zone, Shaba Region, AZAP reported on 8 March quoting local medical sources. The drinking of unhealthy water from rivers and lakes is the reason for the epidemic which is causing an average of 15 to 20 deaths per day, AZAP stated. The epidemic spreads very quickly because of inadequate means to fight it, and because of the almost total lack of drugs, AZAP added. It has now affected the six localities of Malemba-Nkulu Zone, AZAP said without giving the exact number of victims. [Dakar PANA in French 1610 GMT 8 Mar 94] |
FBIS3-22701_0 | Minister Urges Responsible Reporting of AIDS Crisis | Language: Swahili Article Type:BFN [Excerpt] Dr. William Shija, minister for information and broadcasting, has urged newsmen in the country to consider ways of educating the public on reasons that stifle the campaign against AIDS. Honorable Shija made the call while opening a week's seminar for mass media institutions on AIDS at Kibaha today. In his speech, which was read on his behalf by the director of the Department of Information, Ndugu Bwire Musarika, the minister said that recent figures indicated that Tanzania had many more AIDS patients than other East African countries. He said that according to the figures cases of AIDS had increased rapidly in the country during the last three years. He added that the alarming spread of AIDS in the country called for new strategies in combating the disease, including use of the mass media. Hon. Shija said abject poverty, over-population in towns, and frequent family squabbles had greatly contributed to the spread of AIDS in many African countries. He called on journalists to be composed while filing reports on AIDS without being alarmist but to file reports which contained a message on ways of controlling the spread of the disease. [passage omitted] |
FBIS3-22704_0 | Investigations on the Epidemiology of Brucellosis in Some Villages (Pasturelands) of Su Nan County, Gansu Province | 338-340 54004804A Beijing ZHONGHUA LIUXINGBINGXUE ZAZHI [CHINESE JOURNAL OF EPIDEMIOLOGY] Language: Chinese Article Type:CSO [English abstract of article by Ding Xueliang [0002 1331 5328], Fan Yuling [5400 3768 3781], et al. of the Institute of Prevention and Treatment of Endemic Diseases, Lanzhou] [Text] During April-May 1991, by using SAT, CFT, and Coomb's methods an epidemiological surveillance on brucellosis among human beings and animals in some villages and pasturelands of Su Nan County was conducted. The results were that the serum brucella antibody was found positive in 61 cases (19.06 percent out of 320 human beings) and 49 cases were diagnosed as brucellosis. An investigation on 497 cattle and 1989 sheep with SAT methods was also made. The result showed that 15 sera showing a positive reaction all came from sheep. The rate was 0.75 percent. |
FBIS3-22707_0 | Thailand, Cambodia, Laos Planned To Combat AIDS | Language: Thai Article Type:BFN [Text] Thailand will cooperate with Laos and Cambodia to prevent and solve the spread of AIDS, which follows the growth of tourism in the region. Michai Wirawaithaya, a former Thai cabinet official and anti-AIDS activist, said in Phnom Penh that AIDS poses a threat to Cambodia and is comparable to a big time bomb that will cause a tragedy if the Cambodian Government ignores its spread. Citing Thailand as an example, Michai said recognition of reality and of the importance of preventing AIDS will lead to a successful remedy of the problem. The successful Thai campaign to inform the public about AIDS prevention has reduced the contraction of AIDS in Thailand from 1,200 to 600 cases daily, or 50 percent prevention effectiveness. Michai plans to invite members of the Cambodian Government's National AIDS Prevention Committee to observe AIDS prevention efforts and the final stages of AIDS infection cases in Thailand. On cooperation with Laos, Dr. Siriwat Thiptharawadon, the Nong Khai Province public health officer, said that in order to cope with contagious diseases -- including AIDS -- that will follow the increased convenience of travel between Thailand and Laos after the April opening of the Thai-Lao Friendship Bridge, Nong Khai Province will stage a medical and public health seminar with 75 Thai and Lao officials concerned with the control of contagious diseases. The seminar is aimed at formulating suggestions, ways, and plans to combat contagious diseases along the Thai-Lao border, particularly after the opening of the Friendship Bridge. It is also aimed at increasing understanding among these officials in control of contagious diseases and effecting coordination between the two countries in case of epidemics. |
FBIS3-22708_0 | AIDS Treatment Referral Lags at Health Centers | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Tokyo, March 16 KYODO -- Almost 20 percent of public health centers, the nation's front-line defense against AIDS, do not know what hospitals they can refer AIDS patients to, a health ministry report released Wednesday [16 March] said. The report said the figure indicates that the Health and Welfare Ministry's attempt to encourage a nationwide system of base hospitals as a key element of its anti-AIDS strategy is still incomplete. A ministry team studying the epidemiology of AIDS made the finding after compiling results from 688 responses received by mid-January to questionnaires sent out in November to the 848 centers. The ministry found that 688 centers or 81 percent of the total responded to the survey. Of the respondents, 675 or 98 percent offered an AIDS-related telephone inquiry service and 633, or 92 percent, offered AIDS-related interviews. But the ministry said only 555, or 81 percent, of the centers knew of hospitals to which they could refer AIDS patients or people who were infected with the AIDS-causing human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The ministry has requested each prefecture to stipulate at least two hospitals which can serve as centers for the treatment of AIDS but by late January only four prefectures had complied. |
FBIS3-22711_0 | KCNA Highlights Research To Improve Medical Technology | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Text] Pyongyang, March 11 (KCNA) -- New technology researches to improve medical services are brisk among the medical workers of Korea. During the past one year, many inventions and rationalization proposals have been produced in the prophylactic and therapheutic organs in Pyongyang. More than [word indistinct] of them have been introduced into clinics. One of the noteworthy successes is the separation and culture of pylorus spirillum, a main causer of gastric and [word indistinct] ulcers, and the development of a new Koryo medicine of big effect in treating them. New technologies introduced in the treatment of liver [word indistinct] hypertension portails and acute pneumonia and a special method of suture for preventing suppuration in operation are also effective in clinical practice. Soft cupping and water-eczema and massage appliances also have won the favor of the patients. Medical workers, while giving preventive and curative assistance to working people, write many valuable medical treatises. They total ten and several thousand annually nationwide. Scientific symposiums on the researches of medical workers are regularly held. The active efforts of the medical workers reliably guarantee the health of the working people. |
FBIS3-22713_0 | Official Reports AIDS Spread to 25 Cities, Provinces | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Article by J. Esplanada and C. Avendano] [Text] AIDS has spread to 25 cities and provinces in the country, Health Secretary Juan Flavier disclosed yesterday. In a press briefing in Malacanang [presidential office], Flavier said most of those affected are in Metro Manila, Angeles City and Olongapo City. He also disclosed that two more Filipinos died of AIDS last month, bringing to 77 the number of recorded casualties since the mid-1980's. Flavier did not identify the victims. He did not say either where they died. The two reportedly died some time between 8 February this year, when the last previous AIDS death was reported, and 28 February. As of end-February, Flavier said the health department's AIDS/ Human Immunodeficiency Virus Registry had recorded 475 individuals with HIV, the microorganism that causes AIDS and breaks down the human body's defenses against diseases. Of that number, 125 became full-blown AIDS cases, with 77 dying eventually. Tens of thousands more Filipinos may have been infected with HIV but remain undocumented. Flavier earlier estimated their number at 50,000. The basis for that estimate was not explained. The health department has also said that, in 98 percent of recorded AIDS cases here, HIV was transmitted through blood transfusion, with sexual contact accounting for the remaining 2 percent. There is no known cure for AIDS. But the San Lazaro Hospital in Manila has started using AZT, or azidothymidine, on HIV patients. The drug widely used in the Untied States and other countries, reportedly slows down the virus' damage to the immune system. But it is known to produce side effects like severe headache and anemia. The health department's AIDS unit, in the meantime, will conduct random AIDS test in New Bilibid Prisons in Muntinlupa in response to a request from the Department of Justice. But Flavier said the test "will not be coercive" stressing he was "against mandatory testing because this will make those who are positive to go underground and it will be self-defeating." Justice Franklin Drilon the other day sought "mandatory test" for 78 inmates at the penitentiary amid reports that a bar girl with HIV was providing sexual services to rich or influential prisoners there. In Congress, Senator Freddie Webb, chair of the Senate special committee on AIDS, said mandatory tests would violate the prisoners' human rights and only contribute to the "hysteria, stigma, ignorance and misperception" associated with the |
FBIS3-22717_0 | Official Views Blood Donation Concerns, AIDS Infection | Language: Albanian Article Type:BFN [Text] An inspection of our hospitals shows that they cannot fill the needs of patients treated with blood or its by-products. The blood donation problem has become more distressing because of the simple fact of the danger of the spread of AIDS, as well as the increase of accidents resulting from the increase in the number of vehicles in our country. We interviewed Agim Kociraj, director of the Blood Transfusion Service, about this problem. Unattributed reporter: Mr. Agim, how is such a situation created? Kociraj: As the public is aware, three cases of HIV positive AIDS infection have been identified in Albania. The very important role of the Blood Transfusion Service in the spread of this infection is also known. At this very important moment, we have managed to exert 100 percent control over the amount of blood collected from the blood donation system with regard to the presence of this very dangerous infection. However, the fact that all of the blood is 100 percent controlled does not mean that the danger is completely eliminated. Everyone knows that the methodology used cannot identify the presence of the infection in its first phases. It is known that this infection can be reduced at minimum, but cannot be eliminated. In order to reduce to a minimum the possibility of the infection spreading through the blood, it is necessary to include in the blood donation system blood donors from groups that less endangered than the majority of the population insofar as carrying this infection. The fact that in Albania the system operates with 100 percent paid donors does not help much in this direction. This for the very obvious fact that a small group of paid blood donors are always one of the most endangered groups insofar as being an AIDS virus carrier. What is envisioned, and what is being done in this direction? Viewing the problem with much seriousness, the Health Ministry, in cooperation with the Blood Transfusion Service, has passed a new regulation that anticipates collecting blood from less endangered groups, first from the relatives and friends of patients who need blood in our hospitals. This has considerable importance because family members and relatives are of the less endangered groups insofar as carrying the AIDS virus. For this reason, we think we should cooperate with the relatives, family members, visitors, and friends of the sick who need |
FBIS3-22723_0 | General Reza'i Denies DPRK To Test Missiles in Iran | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Report by staff correspondent] [Text] Tehran -- Major General Mohsen Reza'i scoffed at Western media reports that claim Iran is for nuclear weapons saying "Political logic, morality, our own culture and above all the situation in today's world does not allow us to have such deadly weapons. [quotation marks as received] The Islamic Revolution Guards Corps head said, "Political wisdom asks us not to go for weapons which could cause devastation for humanity." "Of course, we are for traditional weapons and that too just for self-defense...and that's all," he said. The eight-year Iraqi imposed war is proof of the real nature of our combatants who never violated the internationally recognized norms concerning war Major Gen. Reza'i recalled. He was referring to the Iraqi forces who left no stone unturned violating the basic tradition of war using chemical bombs against both civilians and military personnel. The Iraqi forces also frequently bombed purely civilians areas during their 1980-88 imposed war. "That Iran is trying to acquire nuclear weapons...is just baseless rumor," Reza'i refuted. Western media repeatedly say Iran will or has already provided the necessary facilities to Communist North Korea for testing missiles with ranges up to 1,000 kilometers. What is Reza'i's explanation? "No, a firm no," Major Gen. Reza'i told the TEHRAN TIMES in an exclusive interview at his office. "By now the entire world should know that Iran is very sensitive as far as our soil and military facilities are concerned and we will never allow others to use it...no matter how friendly `others' are," he said referring to the friendly ties with North Korea. "As long as I'm talking about the real nature of the Islamic combatants and the officials of the Islamic Republic, it will not be out of place to mention the Russian requests which Iran turned down without a second thought," Reza'i, 41, said. "Despite our animosity and enmity against the United States we rejected repeated requests from Moscow to deliver to them the F-14 fighter plane and the wire-guided anti-tank missile, TOW," he said. He disclosed that even the U.S. through various channels tried to obtain a Soviet-made T-72 tank which we seized from the Ba'thist forces during the Iraqi-imposed war. The United States once more received 'a firm no' from the Islamic Republic despite a number of tempting offers from the Pentagon, he said. Maj. Gen. Reza'i, head the IRGC |
FBIS3-22723_2 | General Reza'i Denies DPRK To Test Missiles in Iran | for the last 13 years, comes from Masjed Soleyman, Khuzestan Province. In answer to another question, Reza'i said the Kuridish problem in Iraq is under our observation and our forces are ready to counter any sort of terrorist activities launched from there. Referring to the agreement signed by Iran and Turkey he said, "It has eased the situation." He denounced Iraq for sending terrorists and taking undue advantage from the present situation in the region underlining the fact that that itself was a violation of the 1988 ceasefire and against the traditional practice of friendly neighbors. Reza'i is married with five children and currently studying economics at the post-graduate level. He has a glorious record of revolutionary activities against the now defunct Shah's regime. Commenting on the Persian Gulf he said, "The geographical situation of the waterway is such that the deep water is on Iran's side which enables the Islamic forces to keep alien warships under observation." Without going into details he said there was a plot engineered by Britain, Israel and the United States designed to keep regional tensions high. "I think," he said, "the plot proved to be a mouse trap for the United States. "It's my view that no country should think that they can take undue advantage from the differences between Iran and another Persian Gulf country," he warned. He pointed out that the Iraqi regime made the same mistake in 1980 and "we all know the consequences of that." "I tell my friends in the UAE to listen to my advice as Iran wants to continue friendly relations with all the shaykhdoms there," Reza'i said. The IRGC played a vital role during the Iraqi-imposed war and received compliments from the Leader of the world's deprived, the late Imam Khomeyni. Commenting on the post-war era Reza'i said the IRGC is busy with extensive construction projects in the country. He said IRGC personnel, popularly known in Iran as 'Sepahis,' are constructing a major dam, Karkheh, in Khuzestan Province. For the last two years, the Sepahis have been building the dam which is 3 kilometers long, 150 meters high with a capacity of 7 billion cubic meters of water. So far Rls. 600 billion have been spent on the project and it is estimated that Rls. 1 trillion will be spent before it is completed. The IRGC personnel are also working on the 100-kilometer Tehran- Saveh highway |
FBIS3-22730_0 | Malaysian-Made Tanks for Libyan Nerve Gas Plant Disappear | Language: English Article Type:BFN [Report by Raymond Whittaker: "Libyan Nerve Gas Tanks Go Missing in Malaysia"] [Text] Equipment for a Libyan poison gas plant, made by a British-owned company in Malaysia and returned there last year after the United Nations Security Council blocked delivery, has disappeared. The issue has resurfaced as the Pergau dam affair has put British dealings with Malaysia under intense scrutiny. It could complicate government attempts to remain on good terms with a country sensitive to any perceived interference in relations with fellow Islamic states. Concern over Malaysia's Libyan connection was renewed recently when the government auctioned eight steel reactor tanks which had been returned from Singapore, where they were seized last March on the orders of the Security Council's sanctions committee. The buyer was a small local trading company whose only contact is a mobile telephone number. The equipment left a Malaysian customs warehouse a few weeks ago, though other governments have been told it is in the country and will not be permitted to reach Libya. But one Western diplomat said: "We are not 100 per cent happy, and won't be until we see this equipment in the hands of a non- Libyan end-user who actually wants it." Britain has co-ordinated efforts to keep the tanks out of Libya since becoming aware in 1989 of Tripoli's attempts to obtain them. It says the equipment could produce hundreds of tons of mustard gas and nerve gases. Kuala Lumpur refused to stop the first delivery attempt, saying they were for civilian use. The telephone number of the buyer, Wargamas Management, is unobtainable, but investigators who have spoken to the company's directors say they claim to be trying to sell the vessels to Petronas, Malaysia's state oil company, or an American company. Another source said the equipment had been tailor-made for Tripoli and could not be adapted easily for other uses. A spokesman for the Malaysian High Commission in London declined to comment, saying he would have to check with Kuala Lumpur. Libya first tried in 1989 to order reactor vessels from a British engineering company, APV, saying they would be used to produce drilling mud for the oil industry. Western agencies suspected that they would be used to make chemical weapons. When the order was rejected, the Libyans turned to an obscure Malaysian company, Pacificwide Management, which again has only a mobile number. Pacificwide ordered the equipment |
FBIS3-22739_6 | Dailies Comment on North Korean Nuclear Issue | having North Korea realize the situation after the nuclear issue is referred to the UN Security Council." The article reports that the ROK Government is criticized for having weakened the "stick character" of the persuasion by announcing that it will continue dialogue with Pyongyang even after the North Korean nuclear issue is referred to the UN Security Council. The pro-government SEOUL SINMUN publishes on page 4 a 1,200-word article by correspondent Yang Sung-hyon from Ottawa. Comparing the two communications made by North Korea on 12 February -- the hard-line toned NODONG SINMUN commentary and the moderate remarks of a Foreign Ministry spokesman -- the article reports that the government analyzes the former as "for domestic use" targeting the hard-liners and public opinion inside North Korea, and the latter as a message to the international community. The article analyzes that "ROK Foreign Minister Han's visit to the United States provided North Korea with a pretext for changing its direction" and adds that government officials believe there is a great possibility that North Korean working-level officials reported such moves of the ROK and the United States as an "achievement of the Republic's demand." The article notes that it is still too early to be optimistic because the United State and the IAEA have yet to assess North Korea's true intentions and North Korea has to confirm with the IAEA if the IAEA's expression of "inspections for the continuity of safeguards" coincides with North Korea's demands. The moderate KYONGHYANG SINMUN publishes on page 3 a 700-word entitled "Attention on North Korea's Last Nuclear Card" by correspondent Yi Sung-chol from Ottawa. The article notes that ROK and U.S. officials agree that North Korea will soon suggest the resumption of dialogue with the United States and that the attention is focused on when and what the contents will be. The article quotes an ROK Government official as saying: "analyzing the 12 February remarks of the North Korean Foreign Ministry spokesman, North Korea is focusing on facilitating pretexts rather than insisting on their demands." The article reports the official also added that North Korea has finally realized that it is impossible for the United States to pressure IAEA more to ease inspection conditions. The article reports the ROK and U.S. authorities are discussing the optimum level of pretexts available to the expected demands from North Korea. As to the timing, the article reports that related officials |
FBIS3-22740_1 | ROK Papers on DPRK Acceptance of Inspection | inspections to avoid UN Security Council's sanctions, it will only add to its image of being "an impossible country to deal with" and urges North Korea to keep in mind the "economic benefits" that are to be gained from the resolution of the nuclear issue. The editorial concludes by telling readers to wait until North Korea accepts special and mutual inspections [sangho sachal] between the North and the South. The moderate TONG-A ILBO editorial entitled "Still A Long Way To Go To Resolve North Korea's Nuclear Issue" chimes in with CHOSON ILBO by saying that "real negotiations begin when the issues of special inspection on two undeclared facilities and mutual inspections [sangho sachal] between the North and the South are discussed at the third round of the U.S.-North Korea talks," but adds that developments prove that North Korea only takes action when faced with "resolute measures [tanohan taecho]." The moderate HANGUK ILBO editorial entitled "While Catastrophe Has Been Avoided on the North Korean Nuclear Issue" says that "although North Korea's avoidance of catastrophe and economic sanctions is to be praised, ... this does not mean a complete resolution of the nuclear issue." The editorial urges the government to be fully prepared for North Korea's tricks as the sudden change is part of a "meticulous, premeditated plan." HANGUK ILBO's 800-word article by Paris correspondent Han Ki-pong on page 2, in analyzing the implications of the long drawn-out negotiations process, says that "no progress has been made from the starting point of negotiations a year ago," but that the resolution of conflict between North Korea and the international community is important in and of itself. HANGUK ILBO carries an 800-word article by Choe Kyu-sik on page 4 on the ROK Government's view on North Korea's acceptance of nuclear inspections. While finding North Korea's decision "fortunate and welcoming," the government expressed its position that it is too early to be optimistic. The article says that the government hopes to have meaningful development in working-level contacts concerning the exchange of special envoys and to lead North Korea to completely return to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty [NPT] system following a successful third round of U.S.-North Korea talks regarding the special inspections [tukpyol sachal] of the two undeclared facilities. While the government does not interpret North Korea's acceptance of inspections to mean complete abandonment of nuclear development, it is not being interpreted as "a temporary step" |
FBIS3-22749_0 | Papers Evaluate Foreign Minister's Visit to U.S. | Article Type:BFN [Editorial Report] The following is a compilation of articles published in Seoul vernacular daily newspapers on 14 February in connection with Foreign Minister Han Sung-chu's current visit to the United States to tune the ROK-U.S. policy on the nuclear issue. The pro-government SEOUL SINMUN in Korean carries on page 5 a 1,600-world article by Washington-based correspondent Yang Sung-hyon summing up Foreign Minister Han's visit to the United States. Recalling that North Korea begins to show signs of change through its 12 February Foreign Ministry statement while Foreign Minister Han's U.S. visit was close to an end, the article analyzes that Foreign Minister Han attempted to deliver three different messages to North Korea through his U.S. visit. The article says the first message is "the invariable efforts to settle the nuclear matter through dialogue." The article notes that the ROK and the United States, through in-depth discussions, were able to tug out an agreement to "open a dialogue channel to the last moment for the solution of nuclear problem." The second message, the article maintains, is connected with "the reports on a crisis on the Korean peninsula and the United States preparing stern measures against North Korea." The article interprets Han's expression of mild gestures as a move to avoid the current situation on the Korean peninsula being termed as a crisis. Citing the ROK-U.S. agreement that if the North Korean issue was referred to the Security Council, U.N. action against Pyongyang should be taken in stages rather than through immediate sanctions, the article says Han made clear that "the ROK and the United States have no intention of driving North Korea to an extreme situation." The third message, the article notes, is "an expression of firm will to use a stick if North Korea continues to hold out to the end." The article says that the ROK and U.S. Governments try to deliver a warning to North Korea that unless North Korea accepts inspections by the end of February, sanctions by the international community against North Korea will be "out of our hands." The article sees that North Korea reacted to Han's such messages through its 12 February Foreign Ministry statement and concludes that "in this perspective, Han's visit can be evaluated as successful." The moderate HANGUK ILBO carries on page 3 a 1,400-word article by Washington-based correspondent Chong Pyong-chin on Foreign Minister Han's achievements during his U.S. |
FBIS3-22772_0 | Commentary Responds to British Statements on Country's Nukes | Language: Arabic Article Type:BFN [Commentary by "JANA's international affairs editor"] [Text] The British defense minister announced that Britain is studying the development of its own defense system, claiming that countries such as Libya constitute a nuclear threat to Britain. The British newspaper THE DAILY EXPRESS reported this statement, coupling it by saying that Libya will be able to manufacture nuclear weapons within 10 years. JANA's international affairs editor commented by saying: This British official statement is further proof that the Christians are attacking the Muslims within the framework of the Christian-Jewish alliance against Islam. The nuclear weapons that now exist include 200 nuclear warheads owned by the Jews who occupy Palestine, and they admit owning them despite their refusal to sign the Nonproliferation Treaty. No one has talked about these nuclear warheads. No one mentioned them or asked for their removal. As for Libya, the peaceful country that neither has the capability to own nuclear weapons nor is interested in or thinking of owning nuclear weapons, and which is subject to the annual inspection by the IAEA [International Atomic Energy Agency] because of its signing of the Nonproliferation Treaty, it is accused of this [constituting a danger] and other similar accusations, as if its signing of the Nonproliferation Treaty and the regular IAEA inspection are not sufficient. This shows that the reason for these and other accusations is the fact that the Libyan weapons are not directed against the Arabs. Since the Jewish weapons are directed against the Arabs and Muslims this is allowed and there are no objections to it. Why? The answer is simply the fact that in the eyes of the Christians and Jews the Arabs are animals or a race that no one wants and should be annihilated. The editor added: Through this statement the world can see the practices of terrorism against peaceful peoples. This statement, and the statements that preceded it by the U.S. President, saying that Libya constitutes an extraordinary danger, are in themselves real, unprecedented terrorism practiced by superpowers against a peaceful country. The international affairs editor concluded his comment by saying: These are the characteristics of the new world order to which they call: Terrorism, Jewish and Christian alliance against all non-Jewish religions such as Islam, Buddhism, and Confucianism, in order to establish Jewish and Christian control over the whole world. |
FBIS3-22775_0 | Daily Supports Call For Achieving Nuclear Power Status | Language: Urdu Article Type:BFN [Editorial: "Pakistan and India -- the U.S. Double Standard and the Requirements of National Defense"] [Text] According to a clarification by the U.S. State Department, the Pressler Amendment has been included in the foreign aid bill currently lying before the Congress and the previous restrictions against Pakistan have been retained, under which Pakistan will not be able to receive aid from the United States without abandoning its nuclear program nor can Islamabad purchase U.S. weapons through other sources. This can result in India taking a lead over Pakistan not only in the nuclear program but also in the field of conventional weapons, thereby causing difficulties for Pakistan's defense. The discriminatory treatment meted out by the United States to Pakistan does not beggar description. In spite of the fact that Pakistan has been tied up with the United States through a defense agreement since 1959, Washington never felt it necessary to maintain its friendship with Islamabad, except for a brief period during the Afghan war when the U.S. realized the danger that the advancement of the former Soviet Union toward the hot waters would have jeopardized the global power equilibrium. However, Washington turned its eyes away from Pakistan after the withdrawal of the Soviet Union from Afghanistan and its subsequent disintegration, and the same Pakistan, which was said to be a cornerstone of the U.S. foreign policy during the Afghan war, discovers itself being called a "fundamentalist," "terrorist" state and the standard bearer of the "Islamic bomb." The United States then not only stopped its own aid to Pakistan but also began efforts to persuade the entire world to follow suit. Japan, which has been the largest aid donor to Pakistan, also stopped providing assistance under the influence of the U.S. propaganda and pressure, and categorically stated to the then prime minister, Nawaz Sharif, in December 1992 that it would be difficult for Islamabad to receive any Japanese aid if it did not forgo its nuclear program, reduce military expenditure, and create a favorable atmosphere for the purpose. Two days ago, Japan once again reiterated its conditions and showed a red signal to the new Pakistani Government as well. It is ironical that India has also openly declared itself to be a nuclear power in the Indian Subcontinent, but neither the United States nor Europe nor Japan has objected to India about this. New Delhi, actually, enjoys |
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